Early Childhood Research Summit

CYFS Early Childhood

Research Summit

April 28, 2026

Nebraska Innovation Campus Conference Center
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Creating Connections Among Research, Practice & Policy in Nebraska

Welcome

Established in 2010, the CYFS Early Childhood Research Summit brings together partners from across Nebraska to connect and share new research and practices that make a difference for young children.

The eighth biennial summit, presented by the Nebraska Center for Research on Children, Youth, Families and Schools (CYFS) in partnership with the Nebraska Academy for Early Childhood Research, was held on April 28, 2026.

Explore past summits

Post-Summit Resources

Videos from the Summit will be coming soon. If you would like a copy of any presentation slides or posters from the Summit, contact Sommer Fousek at sfousek2@unl.edu.


Summit Program
Attendee List

Sponsors

College of Education and Human Sciences logo
Office of Research and Innovation logo
Buffett Early Childhood Institute logo
Early Futures Partnership logo

Keynote speaker

Ying Xu, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor, Harvard University

"AI and the Developing Child: Myths, Evidence and Open Questions"

This presentation examined the role and impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on children’s cognitive and social development. Drawing on emerging evidence, Xu highlighted how children interact with, perceive and learn from AI systems, including the ways they develop trust in “AI companions.” The keynote considered open questions about whether generative AI tools shape children’s curiosity, creativity and critical thinking. Xu concluded with a discussion of how education and psychology researchers can strengthen their efforts to ensure AI is safe and beneficial for children.

Read full bio

Summit Goals

Building on the progress of past summits, the summit:

  • Communicated cutting-edge early childhood research findings from University of Nebraska-affiliated researchers and colleagues.
  • Linked ongoing efforts in early childhood research, practice and policy.
  • Advanced the science of early childhood education and development via connections among community partners, policymakers, early childhood practitioners and researchers.