Welcome, we offer high-quality, approved in-service training for early childhood educators. Whether you need to meet licensing requirements or want to advance your skills, we have a variety of online and in-person opportunities to help you succeed.
Browse our schedule of upcoming classes or let us create a custom training plan for your program.
Upcoming Professional Development and Training Opportunities in 2026 | |||||||
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Two Choices Every Other Tuesday, Jan 27-May 5 → 1/27, 2/10, 2/24, 3/10, 3/24, 4/7, 4/21, 5/5 OR Every other Thursday, Jan 29-May 7 → 1/29, 2/12, 2/26, 3/12, 3/26, 4/9, 4/23, 5/7 | 6:30-8:00 pm Central Time | CHIME is an eight-week, interactive training using best practices for providing responsive care. Participants will practice mindfulness in the early childhood setting along with ways to be more responsive and less reactive at work and home. // Week 1 is two hours, weeks 2-8 are 1.5 hours. | Zoom | $155 | 16.0 | No, live attendance required. | |
Tuesdays, September 2 - November 11 09/02, 09/09. 09/16, 09/23, 09/30, 10/07, 10/14, 10/21, 10/28, 11/04 | 1:00 - 2:00 pm Central Time | Lunch and Learn - Play-Based Learning in PracticeThis series will dive into pedagogical foundations, best practices, thoughtfully designed environments, and practical activity ideas that support children's growth through play. Each session will highlight core concepts and real-world strategies, while also incorporating topics of interest chosen by participants. Whether you're new to play-based learning or looking to deepen your practice, you'll leave each session with inspiration and tools you can immediately apply.
Missed a Session? Together, we’ll explore how to create meaningful, engaging, and developmentally appropriate experiences that honor the whole child—through the lens of play. | Zoom | No cost for live | 1.0 | Yes - for credit with fee | Register Here |
Mondays, November 2 - December 22 11/03, 11/10, 11/17, 11/24, 12/01, 12/08, 12/15, 12/22 | 6:30 - 8:00 pm Central Time | Cultivating Healthy Intentional Mindful EducatorsDiscover how to create a more responsive and mindful early childhood environment in this interactive online program. We'll dive into the latest research and best practices, focusing on how mindfulness can transform your approach to social-emotional development. You’ll learn concrete strategies to manage work challenges, stay calm, and become more responsive—and less reactive—to the children in your care. By integrating simple mindfulness practices into your daily routine, you'll enhance your well-being while nurturing the development of every child you teach. | Zoom | $155 | 16.0 | No, live attendance required. | |
Tuesdays classes: 12/09, 01/13, 02/10, 03/10, 04/14, 05/12 | 7:30 - 8:30 pm Central Time | Inside Outside 2025-2026This year’s Inside Outside Meetings will center around the Nebraska Extension’s Nature-Based Learning in Early Childhood Professional Development Series. Each month, participants will engage in a blended learning experience designed to deepen understanding and practical application of nature-based education. Choose Your Meeting Time: | Online | No cost | 1.0 | No Recording | |
Thursday classes: 12/11, 01/15, 02/12, 03/12, 04/16, 05/14
| 1:00 - 2:00 pm Central Time | Online | No cost | 1.0 | No Recording | ||
Lunch and Learn Classes 2026
This winter/spring, you can join us live OR get access to the recording for no cost if you register for the class. The recordings will be sent out by Friday each week and you will have until the following Friday to view, complete a quiz and earn your certificate. Classes with multiple dates are designed to be taken together, but you can attend whatever works best for your schedule! You will receive a 1-hour certificate for each class you attend for no cost. Classes are taught by Katie Krause unless otherwise noted.
Tuesday Classes: 01/20, 01/27, 02/03, 02/17, 02/24, 03/03 No Class on 02/10 | 1:00 - 2:00 pm Central Time | Beyond Behavior: Understanding Children from the Inside OutThis new 6-week series offers a fresh approach to challenging behaviors, drawing on developmental science, respectful caregiving, and current neuroscience. Educators will learn how stress, sensory needs, and emerging skills shape behavior and how to respond with clarity, calmness, and connection. Each session focuses on practical, relationship-based strategies that reduce power struggles and support regulation. Participants will leave with a deeper understanding of what behaviors communicate—and how to meet children’s needs in ways that help them thrive. | Online | No cost | 1.0 | Yes | |
Tuesday Classes: 03/10, 03/17, 03/24 | 1:00 - 2:00 pm Central Time | Play Is Learning: Discovering Academic Foundations in Everyday MomentsThis series helps identify and communicate the learning that happens through play, particularly to families. Participants will use the Nebraska Early Learning Guidelines (ELGs) as a framework to plan activities that nurture curiosity, creativity, and foundational academic skills. | Online | No cost | 1.0 | Yes | |
The Wonder of Winter: 01/15 & 01/22 The Joy of Spring: 03/19 The Glow of Summer: Mid-May TBA Beauty of Fall: Mid-September TBA
| 1:00 - 2:00 pm Central Time | The Seasons of Play - Ideas for incorporating nature following the rhythms of the seasonsSeasons of Play will meet seasonally to help you bring fresh, meaningful nature play to your early childhood programs. Each session highlights simple, inspiring ways to engage children with the natural world using seasonal opportunities and everyday materials. We will meet once each season to explore playful, developmentally supportive ideas that work in a variety of settings—indoors and outdoors. Join us as we discover how the changing seasons can spark curiosity, creativity, and joyful learning all year long.
| Online | No cost | 1.0 | Yes |
Date | Time | Topic | Type | Cost | Hours | Recording | Registration |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Tuesdays classes: 12/09, 01/13, 02/10, 03/10, 04/14, 05/12 | 7:30 - 8:30 pm Central Time | Inside Outside 2025-2026This year’s Inside Outside Meetings will center around the Nebraska Extension’s Nature-Based Learning in Early Childhood Professional Development Series. Each month, participants will engage in a blended learning experience designed to deepen understanding and practical application of nature-based education. Choose Your Meeting Time: | Online | No cost | 1.0 | No Recording | |
Thursday classes: 12/11, 01/15, 02/12, 03/12, 04/16, 05/14
| 1:00 - 2:00 pm Central Time | Online | No cost | 1.0 | No Recording |
Ready to get started? Contact us today.
Email: earlychildhood@unl.edu
Call: 1 (855) 308-8037 (toll-free)