Nearly 7,000 early childhood professionals recently gathered at the Anaheim Convention Center for the National Association for the Education of Young Children’s annual conference, which is the largest event of its kind in the U.S. Among the highlights was a visit to the NAEYC-accredited Associated Students Inc. Children’s Center at Cal State Fullerton.
Lydia Palacios, director of the Children’s Center, and Sonia Nunez, assistant director of the center, joined Jenny Yen, professor of child and adolescent studies, to host Michelle Kang, CEO of NAEYC, and Tonia Durden, president of NAEYC.
The ASI CSUF Children’s Center exemplifies excellence in early childhood care and education. Many of its teachers are alumni of CSUF’s child and adolescent studies program, underscoring a strong and collaborative partnership with this academic unit. During the tour, visitors observed “tiny Titans” as they engaged in activities like crafting pumpkin soup with sparkly gems, digging in the sand and exploring dinosaur stories with loud, realistic roars. The center’s commitment to safety and care was evident when an evacuation alarm sounded unexpectedly mid-tour. The young children calmly followed their teachers to a safety zone, singing songs under the shade while infants were cradled by attentive staff. Kang and Durden commented on the excellent staff-to-child ratios and the sense of security displayed by the children at the center.
Following the tour, students from the child and adolescent studies program met with NAEYC leaders to discuss their career journeys, insights into national trends in early childhood education and the power of collaboration within the field. Danielle Salazar, a child and adolescent studies major and Jumpstart volunteer supporting early literacy in preschoolers, called the opportunity to engage with early childhood leaders a “once-in-a-lifetime” experience. Celestina Barbosa-Leiker, dean of the College of Health and Human Development; Janna Kim, chair and professor of child and adolescent studies; Amy Nica, CSUF coordinator of Jumpstart; and Keya Allen, assistant executive director of ASI, were also in attendance.