Walking into the Southern Early Childhood Education Justice Network (SECEJ) convening in Jackson, Mississippi, I immediately felt what makes this work so powerful: the people. Advocates, researchers, child care leaders and parents came together with a shared purpose, each bringing their own perspective but united in their commitment to advancing early childhood outcomes across the South.
SECEJ participants connect and exchange ideas during a networking session designed to foster collaboration and strengthen advocacy efforts across Southern states.
The Southern Education Foundation (SEF) designs these quarterly convenings with intention, building each one directly from participant feedback to reflect what advocates are navigating in their states, from federal updates to deeper conversations on bipartisan strategy and messaging. The result is that the convening combines structured sessions with open dialogue, pairing panels that center lived experience with breakout discussions that encourage candid problem-solving. And there’s always breathing room so attendees can have those authentic moments to learn and connect with one another.
Those conversations grounded the work in real experiences, connecting individual efforts to the broader impact SECEJ drives together. Business leaders, parents, and child care providers shared what it truly looks like to navigate limited access to care, staffing shortages, and the broader ripple effects these barriers have on families and communities. Their stories made the work feel immediate and personal and reinforced the importance of approaching advocacy with a steady drumbeat.
Participants in the Southern Early Childhood Education Justice Network (SECEJ) convening gather for a group photo in Jackson, Mississippi. The quarterly convening, hosted by the Southern Education Foundation, brought together advocates, researchers, child care leaders, parents, and community partners from across the South to share strategies, strengthen partnerships, and advance policies that support young children and families.
I attended the convening ready to listen and learn, but I also stepped into a new role as a presenter. Representing the National Collaborative for Infants & Toddlers, I led a session on Strong Families, Strong Communities: How to Use the Latest PN 3 Messaging Research. What started as a chance to contribute quickly turned into a meaningful dialogue. Attendees leaned in, asked thoughtful questions, and worked through how to apply clear, audience-tested messaging in their own states. It became a shared moment of learning, not just a presentation.
Being in Jackson added another layer to the experience. I heard firsthand about the challenges families in Mississippi’s capital city face, then stepped outside and saw those realities play out in real time. That shift from conversation to lived experience made it impossible to see the work as anything other than urgent and real. It put into focus what we often discuss: behind every data point is a place, and behind every policy conversation are real people navigating those challenges every day.
Jasmine Hooper of Voices for Healthy Kids and the National Collaborative for Infants & Toddlers presents Strong Families, Strong Communities: How to Use the Latest PN-3 Messaging Research during the Southern Early Childhood Education Justice Network (SECEJ) convening in Jackson, Mississippi.
What stayed with me most, even weeks later as I write this, is the sense of community inside the room. Even as we tackled complex and heavy issues, people showed up with warmth, openness, and a shared commitment to the work. Across differences in geography, background, and perspective, everyone rallied around a common understanding that progress means moving policy forward, strengthening advocacy strategies, elevating family and provider voices, and building the collective power needed to turn our shared priorities into real outcomes.
That spirit fuels the strength of this network and keeps me hopeful about the difficult but necessary work ahead.
Jasmine Hooper, M.A., is the Strategies and Partnerships Manager for Voices for Healthy Kids, which powers the National Collaborative for Infants & Toddlers. She builds and strengthens partnerships to advance policies that support early childhood development, maternal and child health, and family economic security. She brings expertise in advocacy, coalition-building, and public health policy, with a strong focus on equitable health and community engagement.
