This video is available as a NAESPA membership benefit or for a limited time as a conference attendee.
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Growing Minds: A Project-Based Learning Model for Equity in a Title I Kindergarten
Explore an instructional model that integrates project-based learning with high-leverage literacy and numeracy practices in early childhood. Designed for Title I classrooms, this model is rooted in brain development research, trauma-informed instruction, and culturally sustaining pedagogy. Participants will examine how intentional curriculum design drives student engagement, improves executive function, and supports academic skill development. This session highlights implementation of a model at ECU Community School, a Title I, ESEA-funded lab school. Assessment data demonstrate children’s growth in decoding, comprehension, and number sense. Learn how this instructional approach aligns with state standards and promotes equity and executive function development in high-needs settings. Whether you support early learning at the school, district, or state level, this session offers insight on how developmentally appropriate, evidence-based models can lead to measurable academic success.
This talk was presented at:
2026 National ESEA Conference
February 2026
in
Denver, CO
For more information:
hallak19@ecu.edu
Speakers
Akira Hall
Akira Hall is a kindergarten teacher and curriculum designer at East Carolina University Community School, a Title I, ESEA-funded lab school. Her expertise centers on designing and implementing a research-informed curriculum framework that integrates project-based learning with evidence-based literacy and numeracy instruction, grounded in trauma-responsive and culturally sustaining practices. Her work emphasizes academic rigor, instructional equity, and alignment with state standards. Hall has presented on curriculum design, mentorship in early learning, and diversity in education, and is a recipient of the ECU College of Education Student Success Award. Her classroom model demonstrates measurable gains in early reading and math outcomes.
ESEA Network
The National Association of ESEA State Program Administrators is dedicated to building the capacity of education professionals to provide disadvantaged children with a high quality education. Their ESEA Network website provides a host of resources to educators at all levels.
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Contact Us
admin@eseanetwork.org | 800-256-6452
532 North Franklin Street | Fort Bragg, CA 95437
About Us
The National Association of ESEA State Program Administrators (formerly the National Title I Association) is dedicated to building the capacity of education professionals to provide disadvantaged children with a high quality education. Their ESEA Network website provides a host of resources to educators at all levels.
Connect with Us
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