What can happen when a child with disabilities is included in a traditional care setting with their peers without disabilities―where they can interact, learn, and play together in a universally designed environment, with adaptations, modifications, or accommodations built to support their full participation? For decades, the UNC Frank Porter Graham Child Institute (FPG) has led the way, proving that with the right institutional support, technical assistance, professional development, implementation, and advocacy, young children both with and without disabilities thrive in remarkable ways when they’re in inclusive environments.

This May and June, FPG will host its 26th annual International Early Childhood Inclusion Institute―an event that has drawn people from across the nation and around the world and is designed for anyone caring for or teaching young children (from birth to age eight) with disabilities in inclusive environments. Each year, attendees have the opportunity to:

• discover evidence-informed practices, resources, and tools for promoting and providing inclusive opportunities for every child; 
• strengthen and support family choice by expanding high quality, evidence-informed opportunities for supporting children with disabilities; 
• develop collaborative relationships and cross-agency partnerships that support early childhood inclusion; and  
• meet, learn from, and problem-solve with peers sharing a commitment to meaningful inclusion for every child. 

The theme this year is: Powerful Partnerships: Strengthening Inclusion with Families, Communities, and Change-Makers. At our 2025 institute, we asked participants where they are on their inclusion journey. This year’s theme reminds us that no one needs to be alone on that journey. It celebrates the positive impact that families, communities, and change-makers create when they unite to advance inclusion.

When we come together to share ideas, lift one another, and work side-by-side toward a common goal, we turn possibilities into progress. Each of us holds the power to spark meaningful change, and when we unite our strengths and voices, we can become a collective force that transforms inclusion into a lived reality for each and every child.

Mychal Threets, the resident librarian for PBS and PBS Kids, host of Reading Rainbow and a mental health advocate, will be the keynote speaker this year. He inspires audiences with his joyful message about the power of community, belonging, and access to stories and experiences for every child. His keynote will remind us that inclusion begins with connection and continues through the stories we share that spark change in the world around us. 

This year's event will take place May 19-21, 2026 (in-person and hybrid) in Chapel Hill, NC and on Zoom, and June 24-25, 2026 (virtual on Zoom). To learn more about the event, visit the Inclusion Institute website and for registration information, visit the Inclusion Institute's registration page.