The “19th National Preschool Teaching Student Congress,” organized by the Faculty of Education under the auspices of the Rectorate of Kırşehir Ahi Evran University took place from April 27–29, 2026. As part of the congress, over 260 prospective early childhood educators and more than 60 academics from 24 different provinces across Turkey were hosted in Kırşehir. The event, which saw significant interest in scientific and academic exchanges, featured a total of 4 panels, 17 workshops, 18 sessions with invited speakers, and 147 paper presentations.

The conference began with an opening ceremony held on April 27 at the Kırşehir Ahi Evran University Congress and Culture Center. During the opening ceremony, the Chairs of the Organizing Committee Assoc. Prof. Dr. Şule Alıcı and Dr. Tuğba Kanmaz were the first to speak. Following the welcoming remarks by the Dean of the Faculty of Education Prof. Dr. Ayfer Şahin opening speeches were delivered by Vice Rector Prof. Dr. Hüseyin Şimşek and Deputy Governor İsmail Çetinkaya. Subsequently, Dean of the Faculty of Fine Arts Prof. Dr. Kubilay Kolukırık and his students presented the attendees with a magnificent musical performance featuring classic works of Turkish art music.

During the opening panel of the conference, the topic “Digital Transformation and Sustainability in Early Childhood Education in Light of the Global Goals” was discussed by Prof. Dr. Dilek Altun, Dean of the Faculty of Education at Boğaziçi University; Prof. Dr. İlkay Ulutaş, a faculty member at Gazi University; and Prof. Dr. Nesrin Işıkoğlu, a faculty member at Pamukkale University.

Following this, Prof. Dr. Esra Ömeroğlu from Gazi University delivered a presentation titled “Preschool Curriculum: The Turkey Century Education Model.” In the panel titled “Early Childhood in the Digital World: How Should Programs, Teachers, and Families Adapt?”, our faculty members Prof. Dr. Adalet Kandır and Prof. Dr. Fatma Tezel Şahin from Gazi University, along with Assoc. Prof. Dr. Mine Canan Durmuşoğlu from Hacettepe University, presented their papers to the participants. Following the panel, teacher candidates and academics presented their papers during the concurrent paper sessions and workshops.

The first day concluded with a gala dinner hosted by the Kırşehir Governor’s Office. At the gala dinner, the musical performance by the Bozkır’s Abdals Service Cooperative Music Ensemble was highly praised by all guests.
The second day of the conference began with a lecture titled “Early Childhood Education for Sustainability in the Time of Polycrisis” delivered by Prof. Dr. Julie Davis, a world-renowned expert in the field who joined the program from Australia. This was followed by a panel titled “Issues, Solutions, and Policies in Early Childhood Education,” featuring Prof. Dr. Özgül Polat from Marmara University, Prof. Dr. Yunus Günindi from Aksaray University, and Prof. Dr. Ayşe Güler Küçükturan from Başkent University.

In the afternoon session, under the topic “Innovative Approaches and Sustainability in Teacher Training Programs,” Prof. Dr. Berrin Akman from Hacettepe University, Prof. Dr. Arzu Yükselen from Istanbul Medipol University, Prof. Dr. Seray Olçay from Ankara University, Prof. Dr. Refika Olgun from Middle East Technical University, and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Burcu Özdemir Beceren from Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University shared their knowledge and experiences with the participants.
Following the panel, the conference continued with paper presentations by teacher candidates and academics, as well as workshop sessions.

The second day concluded with a gala dinner hosted by the Kırşehir Municipality. On the third day of the program, as part of a cultural tour, participants visited the Ahilik Museum, Cacabey Mosque, Cacabey Madrasa, Neşet Ertaş Cultural Center, Kaman Japanese Garden, and Kalehöyük Archaeological Museum, gaining an opportunity to explore Kırşehir’s historical and cultural heritage. The tour program concluded with a luncheon hosted by the Kaman Municipality.

Dean of the Faculty of Education Prof. Dr. Ayfer Şahin noted that over the course of three days, guests were treated to one of the finest examples of university-city collaboration, she expressed her gratitude to those who supported them, particularly Kırşehir Governor Murat Sefa Demiryürek and our University Rector Prof. Dr. Mustafa Kasım Karahocagil, as well as Kırşehir Mayor Selahattin Ekicioğlu and Kaman Mayor Emre Demirci; she also thanked the Provincial Directorate of Youth and Sports for their support under the UNIDES projects. He also thanked all the faculty members, students, and administrative staff who contributed to the organization, as well as the conference participants and the publishing houses and local businesses that served as sponsors.