Early Childhood Investigations is an ongoing series of conference-quality free webinars for early childhood educators. Founded by Fran S. Simon, M.Ed., and now produced by Playground Software, the webinars are led by highly respected thought leaders and experts in early care and education and other related fields. Each session explored critical topics that provide new ideas and insights to early childhood professionals, particularly administrators.
Early Childhood Investigations aims to offer professional development opportunities that transcend the obstacles of distance, time, and cost. The series aims to spark discussion in the early education community by delivering conference-quality webinars and inspiring and motivating directors and teachers to dig deeper and elevate their practice.
Fran dedicated her career to advancing early childhood education by combining her technology, professional development, and early learning expertise. With a master’s degree in early childhood education, Fran has been at the forefront of creating innovative solutions for educators, leaders, and administrators in the early education field. She founded Early Childhood Investigations Webinars (ECIW) to address the growing need for accessible, high-quality professional development opportunities for the early care and education workforce.
In January 2025, Playground Software took the reigns as the producer. PLayground is committed to delivering even more webinars and other digital content that will empower early educators with the resources they need to impact the children and families for which they care.
