2027 IHSA Conference Information
Our annual conference is IHSA’s signature professional development opportunity for the Head Start leader, staff, and parent community. For the second year, we are welcoming the rest of Idaho’s early childhood education community to join in on the learning and networking.
Meet your keynote speaker!
Melissa Pickle
Melissa Pickle knows Head Start from the inside out. With nearly 30 years in early childhood education, spanning roles as a classroom teacher, home visitor, and program director in Head Start and Early Head Start programs across Alaska, Oregon, and South Dakota, she has lived the mission, the joy, and the weight of this work firsthand.
Melissa guides overwhelmed professionals from exhaustion to sustainable balance through lived experience, evidence-based strategies, and immediately actionable tools. Having navigated her own burnout journey, she understands the “helper’s paradox” that makes accepting support so difficult for those who give so much to others. With a B.A. in Psychology, M.Ed., and Associate Certified Life Coach credential with a Health and Wellness Certification, Melissa translates stress science into practical techniques that fit real, busy lives.
Registration, CEU, and session details coming soon.