Collaboration, teamwork, and leadership are fundamental to Va-LEND. Jackie Robinson Brock, MSW and Assistant Director of Virginia Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities (Va-LEND), demonstrated them all at the annual Division for Early Childhood (DEC) and International Society on Early Intervention (ISEI) Joint Conference held in Chicago this past fall. Jackie presented the work of the Early Childhood Partnerships (ECP) initiative that began in 2021. The ECP is a collaborative team that includes Va-LEND, UCEDD, LEND-Pitt, the University of Connecticut UCEED & LEND, and Georgetown University. This initiative advances interdisciplinary practices for young children with disabilities through online networking opportunities and sharing evidence-based best practices.

The poster was unique and not presented in a traditional research poster format. Jackie worked with Inky Brittany, who created visuals and graphics to display the information in a more engaging and accessible format. Jackie shared that she “wanted to be intentional about how the information was presented and ensure that it was presented in an accessible and engaging way.” She received very positive feedback about her poster presentation- “people said that it was the best poster they ever saw. They appreciated how the information was visually presented and felt that it was easier to read and understand because of how it was laid out.” Robinson Brock took the lead on drafting the proposal for submission. Mary Beth Bruder, Ph.D., Executive Director UCEDD at the University of Connecticut Health Center, and Stephen Bagnato, Ed., NCSP, Professor of Psychology & Pediatrics, University of Pittsburgh Schools of Education & Medicine collaborated with Jackie on the poster. Although Robinson Brock’s poster was on display, so was her collaboration, teamwork, and leadership at the conference. “I was able to make connections with other professionals interested in early childhood. People felt that the information I shared about the virtual collaboration could be used to create learning communities and communities of practice virtually in their settings,” said Robinson Brock.