The alphabet hasn't changed. The world has. A day-long dialogue on what our youngest children need from education now — and who they need to become through learning.
So what does that ask us to do differently in the earliest years?
Curiosity. Communication. Confidence. Empathy. Adaptability. These are not alternatives to literacy and numeracy — they are what allow children to use knowledge with thought, purpose and agency.
What must we preserve?
What remains timeless and non-negotiable about childhood and the way young children learn?
What must we rethink?
As the purpose of what we teach changes, how should the way we teach change?
What must become interconnected?
How can literacy, numeracy, social-emotional development, inclusion and individual strengths become one learning experience?
But you won't just listen.
This is a conclave designed to be experienced.
Listen
to perspectives that challenge familiar thinking.
Question
assumptions about childhood, readiness and learning.
Experience
what future-facing Early Years practice can look like.
Practise
ideas and approaches you can take back.
Connect
with educators asking the same questions.
Come not just to hear what others think, but to question, contribute, experience — and take the conversation back to your own school.
Six voices · different lenses · one conversation
Different perspectives. One shared responsibility.
The Future Starts Early brings together educators, pedagogic experts and child-development specialists who see the child, the classroom and the changing world from different vantage points.
Panel moderated by Mamta Kapoor · Executive Director, Education, KEC
Early Childhood & Parent Engagement, TGA Healthy Planet
The Experiential Learning Lens
Samara Gupta
Socio-Emotional Wellbeing through Movement & Music
The Child-Development Lens
Shelja Sen
Child Psychologist, Children First
Choose your Learning Studio
From conversation to practice.
Three intimate, practitioner-led studios. Choose the conversation most relevant to your work.
01
Beyond Conversations
Making Social-Emotional Learning Visible
Facilitator: Maya Menon
Move beyond talking about SEL to intentionally designing environments, routines and interactions that help children recognise emotions, communicate, regulate and connect.
02
Beyond Checklists
Seeing the Child, Not Just the Outcome
Facilitator: Vishwa Srivastava
Explore observation and documentation as tools for understanding not only what children know, but how they think, engage, respond and grow.
03
Beyond the Ordinary
Discovering the Extraordinary in Every Child
Facilitator: Vidushi Chaudhary
Some children show us their strengths immediately. Others need us to look differently. Explore how educators can move beyond one definition of intelligence or achievement to notice different abilities, interests and learning pathways.
Three 90-minute studios run in parallel. You attend one; choose it when you register.
On Campus
See What Personalised Learning Looks Like.
The conclave doesn't end with ideas. During the afternoon, the school itself becomes part of the learning experience. Move through the campus. Meet students. Look closely at learning. Ask questions.
One Child. One Story.
Follow one child’s learning journey and see how observation, planning, personalisation and progress come together.
Behind The Learning.
Look beyond the finished activity into the thinking, planning, assessment and documentation that shape the experience.
One Student. One Conversation.
Sit with our students. Ask questions. Hear school through their eyes.
The day at a glance
Saturday, 31 October 2026
8:30 – 9:15
Registration & Welcome
Tea, breakfast and arrival of delegates
9:30 – 10:30
Opening Keynotes
Dr Swati Popat Vats & Mamta Kapoor
10:30 – 12:00
Panel Dialogue
Six voices in conversation · Moderated by Mamta Kapoor
12:00 – 1:00
KEC Experience Zones
Student-led experiences across the school
1:00 – 2:00
Lunch with Students
Shared table with children of Khaitan World School
2:00 – 3:30
Workshop Tracks
Three parallel tracks to choose from
3:30 – 4:00
Tea & Regroup
A pause in the garden
4:00 – 4:30
Closing Keynotes & Reflections
Vishwa Srivastava & Maya Menon
Who is this conversation for?
For educators who want to think beyond the obvious.
Early Years Educators looking for thoughtful ideas they can take back to classrooms.
Early Years & Academic Leaders rethinking curriculum, pedagogy and readiness.
Principals & School Leaders considering what future-ready learning looks like from the beginning.
Curriculum & Learning Specialists interested in personalisation, inclusion, SEL and whole-child development.
What will you leave with?
A question worth taking back.
A new way of looking at the child.
A practice worth trying.
Something tangible from your Learning Studio.
A connection worth keeping.
A network of educators thinking about the same challenges.
A renewed sense of possibility.
For what Early Years education can become.
60 educators. Intentionally.
Small enough for real conversation.
Designed for genuine dialogue, participation and connection — and diverse enough to bring new perspectives into the room.
🌱 Early-bird rate ends 10 September 2026 — register early to secure the best price.
Early bird · till 10 Sept
Early Bird
₹3,000
per delegate
₹4,000
The full conclave, at our best individual rate — reserved for delegates who confirm before 10 September.
Save ₹1,000 before 10 September
Standard
₹4,000
per delegate
The complete conclave experience for individual delegates registering after the early-bird window closes.
Available after 10 September
School groups
School Group Rate
₹2,750
per participant
Bring the team. When 3 or more participants from the same school register together, each attends at this reduced rate.
3 or more participants
Every registration includes
Expert workshops
Your choice of three practitioner-led workshop tracks
The panel dialogue
Six voices in conversation, moderated live on stage
Lunch with students
A shared table with the children of Khaitan World School
Refreshments, all day
Morning tea & breakfast, plus evening tea and regroup
Room to network
Meet school leaders and educators from across the region
Inspiration to carry home
Ideas and practices you can bring back to your classrooms
The Future Starts Early
We may not know exactly what the world our youngest children will inherit will look like.
But
The child remains at the centre.
Always has been. Always should be.
The Foundations Remain. The Purpose Evolves.
Saturday, 31 October 2026 · Khaitan World School, Ghaziabad · Convened by Khaitan Education Centre