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Kathy Buckley -- America's first hearing-impaired comedienne and keynote speaker for the Rocky Mountain Early Childhood Education ConferenceDr. Patricia Kuhl -- Co-director of the University of Washington Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences as well as the Bezos Family Foundation Endowed Chair for Early Childhood Learning.

DENVER, CO -- (Marketwire) -- 12/13/12 -- The Colorado Association for the Education of Young Children, Colorado Head Start Association, Denver Preschool Program, and Early Childhood Education Association of Colorado are collaborating to sponsor the 2013 Rocky Mountain Early Childhood Conference (RMECC) March 1-2 at the Colorado Convention Center.

Focused on promoting and advancing early childhood education and the interests of children birth to eight years of age, this premier regional forum will feature presentations by more than 300 thought leaders, experts and practitioners representing a wide variety of fields that impact early care and education. Conference attendees will include educators, policy makers, directors, owners and other early childhood professionals from Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, Arizona, Kansas and New Mexico.

"Decades of research point to the critical importance of the early years in setting up children for success in school and in life," notes conference Steering Committee Chair, Kathryn Hammerbeck, head of the Early Childhood Education Association of Colorado. "We developed this conference as a means of continuing and expanding those conversations to ensure we're doing what's best for our children at this important life stage."

Dr. Patricia Kuhl, who is internationally recognized for her research on early language and brain development and for her studies that show how young children learn, will be the keynote speaker Friday, March 1. Dr. Kuhl is the co-director of the University of Washington Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences as well as the Bezos Family Foundation Endowed Chair for Early Childhood Learning.

Billed as "America's first hearing-impaired comedienne," Kathy Buckley will be the keynote speaker at the noon luncheon on Saturday, March 2. A five-time American Comedy Award nominee as best stand-up female comedienne, star of her own award-winning PBS special "No Labels, No Limits," and the author of the heartfelt and hilarious book "If You Could Hear What I See," Buckley is a sought-after motivational speaker who delivers the inspirational message that anything can be achieved when the heart and the mind work together.

The RMECC is designed to meet the diverse needs and interests of the many professionals who work with young children and their families while also providing an opportunity for the community to gather, network and share resources. From high-level discussions to hands-on sessions, the conference's agenda is designed to effectively advance quality early care and education for all children.