two adults holding hands with two kids in the middle on a beach at sunset

Great Beginnings, Great Families Conference

Detailed Agenda

The agenda for Great Beginnings, Great Families for 2025 is linked here and also a timeline, of the same schedule, is listed below.

This schedule is subject to change and was last updated 8.7.25


Tuesday, August 12th, 2025 - Day 1
9-10 am In-house Registration /  Exhibitor Hall Opens - Located in Foyer & Oriental
10-10:15 am

Opening: Remarks & Welcome from Planning Committee – Located in Empire Builder & Western Star
10:15 am-12:15 pm Keynote: (2hr) -Dylan Wright -Beyond Problems: Cultivating Family Strengths with Positive Psychology - Located in Empire Builder & Western Star
12:15-1:15 pm Lunch - Visit Exhibitor Hall
1:15-2:15 pm

Dylan Wright

Fatherhood Engagement

 

Located in Empire Builder

Family Wellness and Support

 

Dawn Gunderson

Building Bridges to Empower Communities

Located in Iron horse Ballroom

Family Wellness and Support

 

David P. Otey & Barbara Otey

Mental Health and Family Support in the Face of Suicidal Ideation:  A Two-Generation Perspective

 


Located in Western Star

Family Wellness and Support
2:15-2:30 pm Transition Break - Visit Exhibitor Hall
2:30-3:30 pm

Melanie D. Sands-Snyder

We Carry Fire “Because our story didn’t end—

it evolved.”

 

Located in Empire Builder

Family Wellness and Support

 

Kathy Keel & Jean Schroeder

Montana's Parent Training & Information Center Team

Help Is Here: Connecting with the Right Supports for Young Children with Special Needs

 

Located in Iron Horse Ballroom

Healthy Children and Youth


Teresa Nygaard & Stacy Dressen

Navigating Complex Trauma

 

Located in Western Star

Family Wellness and Support
3:30-3:45 pm Transition Break - Visit Exhibitor Hall 
3:45-4:45 pm

Perspectives from Montana Families Panel Discussion

Panelist: Shelby Gustin, Becky, Haines, David Haines, & Alex Keith, & Cheyenne Robinson

Moderator: Karen Filipovich

*MNA credits not available for this session
—Empire Builder & Western Star
4:45-5:00 pm Visit Exhibitor Hall
5:00-6:30 pm Networking Social hosted by The Montana Early Childhood Network - Ballroom Foyer
Wednesday, August 13th, 2025 - Day 2
7-8 am In-house Registration & Exhibitor Hall Opens - Foyer   
8-10:30 am

Keynote: (2.5hr with mid-session break) Brooke Angst – Implementing HOPE for Children and Families: Creating Positive Experiences to Promote Health and Wellbeing - Empire Builder & Western Star

10:30-10:45 am Transition Break - Visit Exhibitor Hall   
10:45-11:45 am

Laura Acker & Melanie Batt

Six Essential Documents Every Parent Should Complete Before They Die

 

Located in Empire Builder

Family Wellness and Support

Daniel Champer

What Lies Beneath

 

Located in Iron Horse Ballroom
Family Wellness and Support

Jenn Norlander & Michelle Cross

Best Practices for Children with Visual Impairments

 

Located in Western Star

Healthy Children and Youth
11:45 am-1 pm Lunch
1-2 pm

Laura Acker & Melanie Batt

Six Essential Documents Every Parent Should Complete Before They Die - Part 2

 

Located in Empire Builder

Family Wellness and Support

 

Kim Brown

Early Identification of Dual Sensory Loss

 

Located in Iron Horse

Healthy Children and Youth

Hollin Buck & Kim Spurzem

Building from Birth: Mapping Montana's Path to Early Relational Health

 

Located in Western Star

Policy, Advocacy, & Data
2-2:15 pm Transition Break - Visit Exhibitors
2:15-3:15 pm

Jenn Norlander & Michelle Cross

MSDB Outreach Programs and Supports Overview

 

Located in Empire Builder

Policy, Advocacy, & Data

Kim Brown

Engaging Families in Respectful, Meaningful Ways

 

Located in Iron horse Ballroom

Family Wellness and Support

Mackenzie Petersen, Beth Carter, Laura Acker, Charity Middlemas, Alisa Straw & Toree Ranney

Community Health Workers build community: How CHWs bridge local public health services and maternal child resources across Montana

 

Located in Western Star

Policy, Advocacy, & Data
3:15- 3:30 pm Transition Break - Visit Exhibitors
3:30-4:30 pm

Christine Phillips

Supporting Early Literacy: Tools for Building Phonological Awareness and Phonics in Early Childhood

 

 

Located in Empire Builder

Healthy Children and Youth

Kim Brown

Starting Early to Connect the Dots of Transition to Adulthood for CYSHCN and Youth with Disabilities

 

     Located in Iron Horse Ballroom

           Healthy Children and Youth

Jackie Ronning

Early Literacy Targeted Interventions: An overview and update on 2023 HB 352 (20-18-7 MCA).

 

Located in Western Star

Policy, Advocacy, & Data
4:30-5 pm Visit Exhibitor Hall
Thursday, August 14th, 2025 - Day 3
7-8 am In-house Registration & Exhibitor Hall Opens - Foyer
8-9 am

Bradley Tiefethaler

Building Better Outcomes with ACT: Practical Steps for Everyday Success

 

Located in Empire Builder

Family Wellness and Support

Haley Permar, Kendra Lewis, Jennifer Banna, & Kim Brown

Early Childhood Resources Available Through the Rural Institute at the 91次元

 

Located in Iron Horse Ballroom

Healthy Children and Youth

 

Allison Wilson

Montana’s Early Childhood Landscape: Insights from the Updated 2025 Needs Assessment

Located in Western Star

Policy, Advocacy, & Data
9-9:15 am Transition Break - Visit Exhibitor Hall
9:15-10:15 am

Rob Lawler

Breaking the Tradition of Partnerships in Community

 

Located in Empire Builder

Policy, Advocacy, & Data

Alice Anderson & Lace Lesofski

Supporting Students with Hearing Loss: Foundations for Success

 

Located in Iron Horse Ballroom

Healthy Children and Youth

 

Leslie Lee, Abbie Chermack, April Quinlan, Jen Burckhard, & Melissa Lavinder

Reflective Practice in Montana's Home Visiting Programs: Sharing Strategies for Success

 

Located in Western Star

Policy, Advocacy, & Data
10:15- 10:30 am Transition Break - Visit Exhibitor Hall
10:30 am -12:00 pm

  Keynote: Daniel Champer – The Harder Side of Helping- Empire Builder & Western Star

12:00 - 12:30 pm Closing Remarks, Raffle & Evaluations