Welcome to ISSA Conference 2024!
ISSA Conference is a unique platform to listen to the world’s leading Early Childhood experts, an opportunity to learn from your peers, but also to share the knowledge and experience you have gained. ISSA unites researchers, practitioners and policymakers from around the world. Together, we explore themes through discussion and interactive sessions, and we share lessons learned and proven solutions from which you will benefit instantly. As always, there will be a rich and diverse offer of one-day pre-conference workshops and site visits for you to choose from, alongside conference sessions.
The conference will also mark ISSA’s 25th anniversary as a learning community devoted to Early Childhood Development, and the 30th anniversary of the Open Society Foundations’ Step by Step Program, upon whose legacy and resulting network ISSA continues to build.
Register now!
Conference Theme & Strands
The 2024 conference theme, It Takes an Early Childhood Ecosystem for All Young Children to Thrive, recognizes that we live in disruptive and increasingly challenging times where the concern for protecting and asserting the importance of safe, healthy, and happy childhoods is more pressing than ever. Recent years, especially since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic and continuing with economic downturns and devastating consequences of wars, have clearly demonstrated how rapidly changes are occurring, exposing vulnerabilities not only in societies but also in early childhood systems. Explore further the conference theme and strands.
Keynote Speakers
We are also also excited to welcome our keynote speakers who will delve further into this year's theme:
- James Cairns, M.A., Senior Director for Strategic Engagements and Organizational Learning at the Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University
- Mathias Urban, Phd, Desmond Chair of Early Childhood Education and Director of the Early Childhood Research Centre (ECRC) at Dublin City University, Ireland (DCU)
Read their bios and abstracts, and preview videos of their keynotes.
Conference Program
This year’s conference program will be include a diverse range of parallel pre-conference workshops on 22 October. Optional site visits and sightseeing tours are planned for 25 October. Social events are planned throughout to ensure plenty of time to connect and network with fellow attendees.
Travel & Logistics
The conference will be held at the Grand Millennium Sofia - visit the About page for details. We've also compiled some helpful information as you plan for the conference, including visa requirements, travel and other practical information, hotel options, and a brief overview about the history of the City of Sofia.
Key Conference Dates
- Extended Call for Proposal deadline: 13 May 2024
- Early Bird registration: until
12 August6 September 2024 - Registration closes: 7 October 2024
- Pre-Conference Events: 22 October 2024
- ISSA Conference 2024: 23-24 October 2024
- Site Visits & Sightseeing Tours: 25 October 2024
Registration Information
Registration for the ISSA Conference 2024 is now open. Please refer to the conference registration fees below and register to secure your participation. See Early Bird rates and deadlines, member discounts, and group rates available, as well as details of all the perks that the participant package includes. Click here for details.
We look forward to seeing you in Sofia this October! Please be sure to register as soon as possible as spaces are limited, and don't hesitate to contact us with any questions!
In the meantime, check out this video from ISSA Conference 2019:
Conference Co-hosts and Partners
ISSA Conference 2024 is hosted by:
In partnership with:
With the support of:
The Ministry of Labour and Social Policy
The Ministry of Education and Science
The Ministry of Healthcare
The Municipality of Sofia
UNICEF
