Kids First Conference
What is the Kids First Conference?
Together, the Charter Institute at Erskine and the South Carolina Public Charter School District serve 50,000 charter school students across South Carolina in traditional brick-and-mortar and virtual formats. In an effort to bolster support for these students, the authorizers formed a historic partnership, titled “Kids First”, which is committed to collectively prioritizing positive outcomes for students and families throughout South Carolina. The Kids First Conference provides a professional development conference for the boards and leadership of both districts’ combined 65 schools.
Hosted by the Charter Institute at Erskine (Institute) and South Carolina Public Charter School District (SCPCSD), the two-day conference gives teachers and school leaders a chance to hear inspirational speakers, legislative panels, and have a little fun.
“Our schools don’t have a lot of the weight and bureaucracy and regulations over the curriculum and the way it’s presented and provided through instruction in the classroom. Our instruction in the classroom is designed by the teacher, it’s more personalized and it meets each kid where they are,” says Superintendent for SCPCSD Chris Neeley.
“We believe it’s really important that you keep first things first. And you make sure that your teachers, your administrators, your school leaders and everybody understands that we’re in this business for one reason and one reason only, and that’s for children. And the education of the next generation of South Carolinians,” says CIE Superintendent Cameron Runyan.

What's included with registration?
Registration for the Kids First Conference includes the following:
2 Days of Training
Attend two days of in-depth training. You'll find countless opportunities to network with district staff, trainers, and attendees during each of your classes and at every meal.
Catered Event Meal
Enjoy breakfast, lunch, and refreshment breaks on instructional days.
Reception
Join us Tuesday evening for a reception immediately following the conference.
Keynote Speaker
Take advantage of listening and meeting our amazing Keynote Speaker.
Breakout Sessions
Choose from unique courses, organized by topic, level of experience, and job role, making it easy to fill your schedule.
Raffle
This event would not be possible without the support of our generous conference sponsors. Speak with our sponsors for a chance to win raffle prizes throughout the conference.