DENVER, CO--(Marketwired - Nov 4, 2016) - Emmy-winning television personality Steve Spangler and Holly Elissa Bruno, an author and radio host, will be the keynote speakers at the 2017 Rocky Mountain Early Childhood Conference (RMECC) March 17-18 in the Colorado Convention Center. One of the nation's premier forums for advocating and advancing early childhood education, the two-day conference brings together a broad array of stakeholders, early childhood practitioners, business leaders and policymakers from across the country.

Spangler, who started his career as a science teacher in Denver's Cherry Creek School District, is the founder of SteveSpanglerScience.com, a company specializing in the creation of science toys, classroom demonstrations and teacher resources. Holder of a Guinness World Record for the largest science lesson, when more than 5,000 people participated in a hands-on science demonstration at the same time, he is probably best known for his 2005 Diet Coke and Mentos geyser experiment that went viral.

A lawyer who served as Maine's assistant attorney general and assistant dean at the University of Maine School of Law, Bruno teaches leadership courses for the McCormick Center for Early Childhood Leadership and at Wheelock College, Boston. In addition to authoring numerous books, she hosts an online radio program, "Heart to Heart Conversations of Leadership: Your guide to making a difference" at BAMradionetwork.com or via her website hollyelissabruno.com.

RMECC 2017 is a partnership between the Colorado Association for the Education of Young Children, Denver's Early Childhood Council and the Early Childhood Council Leadership Alliance. It is designed to meet the professional development needs of early childhood practitioners while at the same time providing a forum for community advocates to learn, share and network. Attendees can earn up to six hours of ongoing training credits per day during the two-day conference. Tracks will include child physical health, safety and nutrition; guidance and positive behavior support; leadership, management and administration; early childhood systems, governance and policy; grants management, contracting and finance; family and community partnerships; child growth, development and learning; teaching practice, literacy and STEAM; infant and early childhood mental health; and inclusion and cultural responsiveness. Workshop descriptions will be available in early January of 2017.

Community, non-profit and business organizations interested in helping to welcome the hundreds of early childhood stakeholders to Denver are encouraged to visit http://www.ecconference.com/sponsor or http://www.ecconference.com/get-involved/exhibitors. Online registration for RMECC 2017 will open in December 2016. For more information about the conference, call 303-791-2772 or email info@ecconference.com.