LOS ANGELES - (Business Wire) Parents, children and preschool educators converged on the Los Angeles Convention Center today, Oct. 16, for the opening of the two-day Universal Preschool Conference & Education Expo to celebrate and advance the benefits of early childhood education.

This public event offered valuable information related to preschool education to parents, teachers, policymakers and the business community through educational workshops, seminars and exhibits. Los Angeles Universal Preschool (LAUP) organized the event, which was co-hosted by Preschool California, Pre-K Now and First 5 LA.

The conference and education expo, which continues Saturday, Oct. 17, from 8 a.m. – 2 p.m. at the Los Angeles Convention Center, West Hall, features fun and interactive activities for the entire family. The event includes more than 60 exhibitors showcasing goods and services that are relevant to a child’s preschool experience, as well as free entertainment.

“This Expo makes it possible for the early childhood education community to come together under one roof to learn more about efforts to increase accessibility and quality at preschools for the benefit of children,” said Gary Mangiofico, CEO of LAUP. “There’s no question that early education is an important topic that needs to be addressed, and this Expo provides a forum for such discussion.”

This Expo that focuses exclusively on the impact of early education brought together the preschool community to discuss, share, explore and learn more about the best methods and resources available to better prepare children for kindergarten and beyond. It also highlighted the fact that access to high-quality preschool improves the educational attainment of children.

The conference and education expo featured prominent speakers on Friday that included Assemblyman Kevin de Leon, D-Los Angeles, chairman of the California Assembly Appropriations Committee; Catherine Atkin, President of Preschool California; and Bob Cherry, political strategist at Hein, Cherry and Attore, Inc.

“LAUP is thrilled to have had these influential voices in government, advocacy and political strategy to help us place the importance of early childhood education in the forefront of the public agenda,” said Mangiofico, who also spoke at the event. “The need for quality preschool education is an issue that affects families across the nation, and has a profound effect on our society as a whole.”

Early childhood education is a topic of importance in California and the nation, where many children are unable to attend quality and affordable preschools despite proven benefits showing kids who attend are better prepared for kindergarten and enjoy long-lasting benefits in life. Research shows that quality preschool lays a strong foundation that helps prepare children for future success.

LAUP is increasing access to high-quality preschool by creating new spaces throughout Los Angeles County, making preschools more affordable and providing them with the funding they need to run high-quality programs that are available to families at little or no cost.

“One of the most important decisions a parent has to make is choosing a quality preschool for their children,” said Celia C. Ayala, COO of LAUP. “A quality preschool program helps develop a child’s life skills, and promotes success as he or she moves into kindergarten and beyond.”

The Expo received strong support from the business community, which understands the foundation preschools lay in forging an educated workforce that will be needed to help the U.S. thrive in an increasingly competitive global economy.

LAUP’s presenting sponsors of the event are BP America, Inc. and Lakeshore Learning Materials. The Expo Gold Event Sponsors are The Boeing Company, Kaiser Permanente, Scholastic and U.S. Bank. The Expo Silver Event Sponsor is CM School Supply, and the Expo Bronze Event Sponsor is Kaplan Early Learning Company. LAUP’s Media Sponsor is KMEX-TV, Ch. 34, Univision.

Los Angeles Universal Preschool (LAUP) is a non-profit organization established to provide high-quality preschool education to the children in Los Angeles County. Since 2005, its creative model that focuses on high-quality has touched the lives of nearly 40,000 preschool-aged children through enriching curricula and nurturing environments aimed to best prepare four-year-olds to succeed in kindergarten and beyond. LAUP is primarily funded by First 5 LA, and is lauded as a premier organization by the California Council for Excellence.