Kai Early Years, Kai CIRCLE host conference for 120+ educators in Bengaluru

October 19, 2026 /Posted byPrajwal EW / 0

Kai Early Years and Kai CIRCLE hosted the second edition of the Transforming the Early Years (TEY) Conference on September 25–26 at the Kai Early Years campus in Whitefield, Bengaluru. The event brought together over 120 educators and school leaders from international schools across India to discuss early childhood education, school leadership and educator wellbeing.

The two-day conference featured separate programmes for school leaders and educators, focusing on professional learning, collaboration and practices that support children’s development.

On Leaders Day, September 25, participants explored school culture, relationships, leadership responsibilities and wellbeing. Educator and author Gavin McCormack led sessions on school culture and the relationship between neuroscience and classroom practice. Jennifer Sait, Co-Founder and Director of Learning and Development at Kai Early Years and Kai CIRCLE, conducted a session on the emotional demands of leadership and strategies for building connected school communities.

Educators Day, held on September 26, featured a keynote by McCormack on the role of connection, trust and belonging in early childhood learning. Masterclasses addressed purposeful play, educator wellbeing and approaches to making children’s thinking visible in classrooms. The sessions were led by Mrunal Shah, Fatima Asghar and Manju Nair.

The conference also featured TEY EDTalks, a platform that gave selected educators eight minutes each to share experiences and practices from their work with children and families. The initiative included the TEY Changemaker Award, recognising educators’ contributions to children and families through early childhood education.

Through keynote sessions, masterclasses and educator presentations, TEY 2026 aimed to encourage professional exchange and strengthen connections among early years practitioners across India. The conference’s second edition continued the organisers’ focus on supporting educators and school leaders through opportunities for reflection and professional development.

Also Read: WWI’s Celebrate Cinema 2026 brings together over 4,000 participants

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“Most schools never consciously chose their basic unit. They inherited one from the past: the class. With the class as the focus, the things that happen between people get squeezed out: the apprentice learning alongside someone skilled, the child taught where they are rather than where the class is, and the daily practice of getting along with people they did not choose. The most promising new schools are organising themselves around the individual child rather than the class. A better approach is to group children by readiness in each subject and change those groups as they progress. Communication, collaboration and handling disagreement need daily practice. In a school built around individual progress, teachers get time back to observe, diagnose, mentor and step in where they are most needed. Most teachers entered the profession to make a difference to children. Many spend their careers managing classes instead. The best new schools offer them a system that finally lets them do the work they signed up for.”

- Rahul Raghavan, Economic Times, (27/10)

“Prevention begins with understanding young people, their struggles and the environments in which they grow up. A sense of belonging, nurturing relationships and meaningful social interactions can play a crucial role in protecting adolescents from substance abuse. When young people feel connected to their families, schools and communities, they are more likely to develop healthy coping mechanisms, make informed choices and seek help when needed. Parents, teachers and community leaders must work together to create supportive spaces where adolescents feel heard, valued and understood. Schools must go beyond academic achievement to foster inclusion, emotional wellbeing and genuine relationships. Ultimately, preventing substance abuse requires looking beyond individual behaviour and recognising the influence of the relationships and communities that shape young lives.”

- Navdeep Aggarwal, Economic Times, (22/10)

Kai Early Years, Kai CIRCLE host conference for 120+ educators in Bengaluru

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