2026 Theme: Making Waves In Early Childhood
Get ready to dive into the latest trends and tips at the 2026 UHSA Conference, all about Early Childhood Education! This exciting in-person event is your chance to connect with fellow educators, share ideas, and discover new ways to make a splash in your Head Start journey. Don't miss out on the fun, learning, and inspiration – see you there!
Date:
October 9, 2026
Location:
Loveland Living Planet Aquarium
12033 Lone Peak Pkwy, Draper, UT, 84020
Keynote Speaker:
Steve Gross
Founder, Chief Playmaker at The Life is Good Playmaker Project
Steve's goal is to inspire others to embrace a more playful mindset — one that elevates joy, connection, engagement, and empowerment in the workplace. He reminds leaders that these are not only the four key ingredients of play, but also the four most powerful levers for building stronger, healthier organizations, especially in times of uncertainty and challenge.
Steve Gross applies the lessons learned during his 30+ years of international trauma-response work to help organizations strengthen resilience and cultivate thriving teams and cultures. A clinical social worker by training, Steve has dedicated his career to teaching others how to build healing, transformative relationships with children facing overwhelming adversity.
Steve has earned global recognition for pioneering innovative, play-based trauma interventions in countries such as Haiti, Ukraine, Rwanda, Turkey, Denmark, Japan, the United States, and more. His work is featured as an example of how play can help children heal from trauma in the longtime #1 New York Times bestseller The Body Keeps the Score.
