There was no need for coffee during LACOE’s fourth quarterly Universal PreKindergarten (UPK) Institute on Tuesday, June 3, despite the 8 a.m. start. The session—entitled Feel the Beat: The Soundtrack to Learning—came alive as Norman Jones entered the room, filling the space with an electrifying drumming rhythm that instantly captivated hearts. As a leading innovator in the early education space, combining music and creativity to engage students in the classroom, his powerful beat ignited the atmosphere, setting the tone for a day of connection, creativity and learning through sound. With each strike of the drum, participants were drawn into a shared rhythm—one that pulsed with the energy of discovery and the harmony of collective engagement.

Following the rousing drum-along, teachers and administrators from school districts, charters and early learning providers from across the County were welcomed to a day dedicated to enriching their teaching practices for four-year-olds through the visual and performing arts. LACOE Chief Education Officer Dr. Maricela Ramirez kicked off the program by reflecting that “music is healing, music is bonding,” and Deputy Superintendent Dr. Ruth Pérez reminded everyone, “We’re never too old to have fun with our children.”

With a focus on enriching learning and social-emotional development through the arts, the full-day program was designed around a variety of hands-on breakout sessions focused on the rhythms of science, building math through play, exploring science through art, using music to build language skills and much more. 

Keynote speaker Houston Kraft, cofounder of CharacterStrong and author of “Deep Kindness,” engaged all participants in the interactive opening session: “The Kindness Crisis: Using Play and Art to Create Belonging.” Emphasizing that kindness is proactive and courageous, not reactive and convenient, he encouraged participants to ask not “what do you want to be when you grow up?” but rather “who do you want to be while you grow up?”

As the fourth and final of this year’s quarterly UPK Institutes, “Feel the Beat” built on the foundation of earlier institutes, which focused on the importance of rooting learning in play, igniting curiosity and inspiring innovation. Looking toward California’s full implementation of Universal PreKindergarten for all four-year-olds this fall, LACOE continues to engage both educators and administrators from a variety of providers in enhancing age and developmentally appropriate play-based practices.

“It was thrilling to see this venue again filled to capacity with practitioners eager to continue improving and enriching their practices to teach our most precious young learners,” said Luis Bautista, Head Start and Early Learning Division Executive Director. “As UPK reaches full implementation next year, our team will continue their support through hosting institutes, constructing model classrooms and providing individualized supports.”

Keeping the musical spirit alive, participants were swept into a lively dance performance and serenaded by the vibrant sounds of the Mariachi Band from California Lutheran University during lunch—a true interlude of culture, celebration and connection. The energy was electric, setting the stage for another round of interactive breakouts.

Just as every great song has a beat, every thriving classroom has a rhythm. And on this day, the rhythm pulsing through this collective of passionate educators was one of kindness, joy and playful learning. That rhythm won’t end here—it will echo through classrooms across the county this fall and beyond.

More information on LACOE’s Universal PreKindergarten is available on the LACOE website, and you can request support from LACOE’s UPK team here. For a short video recap of the festivities, please visit @lacoeheadstart on Instagram.