Winter in Anchorage, Alaska

In early February, Anchorage AEYC held their annual early childhood conference. For over a year, I had been communicating with Christie and Cecilia (co-conference directors) learning about their members and their interests. These two dynamos planned and implemented a fabulous conference with early childhood educators from throughout the state.  Some teachers traveled hours in small bush planes to attend this quality professional development opportunity.

Anchorage was experiencing a warm front, with day temperatures hovering around 30 degrees and snow falling on most of the days of the conference. But that did not slow down these dedicated early childhood educators who are committed to creating a nurturing environment for Alaska’s young children.

My keynote focused on inspiring the 4C’s: Creativity, communication, collaboration, and critical thinking in young children. The participants were so responsive as we waved our hands, sang songs, and discussed the amazing capabilities of young children. On the final day, I closed the conference with “The Story Behind the Humor” where we shared humorous moments in early childhood classrooms. We laughed at the funny stories, discussed the learnings they demonstrated, and shared personal experiences. It was a great ending for an exceptional conference!

It is amazing that in the middle of winter, and in Alaska, I had the warmest experience of 2020 so far! It happened because of my interactions with these dedicated and caring early childhood teachers and directors who work diligently every day to make life wonderful for young children and their families.

Together we can change the lives of young children and support their families!