Nearly 7,000 early childhood professionals recently gathered at the Anaheim Convention Center for the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) annual conference, the largest event of its kind in the U.S. A key highlight of the event was a visit to the NAEYC-accredited Associated Students Inc. Children’s Center at California State University, Fullerton.
The center’s director, Lydia Palacios, and assistant director, Sonia Nunez, welcomed NAEYC CEO Michelle Kang and president Tonia Durden, along with Jenny Yen, a professor in the child and adolescent studies department.
The ASI CSUF Children’s Center is known for its excellence in early childhood care and education. Many of its teachers are graduates of CSUF’s child and adolescent studies program, highlighting a strong partnership between the center and the university. During the tour, visitors observed young children, known as “tiny Titans,” engaging in activities such as crafting pumpkin soup with sparkling gems, digging in the sand, and exploring dinosaur stories with energetic roars. The center’s dedication to safety and care was evident when an evacuation alarm sounded unexpectedly mid-tour. The children calmly followed their teachers to a designated safety zone, singing songs while infants were carefully cradled by staff. Kang and Durden praised the center’s staff-to-child ratios and noted the sense of security among the children.
After the tour, students from the child and adolescent studies program had the opportunity to meet with NAEYC leaders. They discussed their career paths, national trends in early childhood education, and the importance of collaboration in the field. Danielle Salazar, a child and adolescent studies major and Jumpstart volunteer, called the chance to engage with early childhood leaders a “once-in-a-lifetime” experience. Also in attendance were Celestina Barbosa-Leiker, dean of the College of Health and Human Development; Janna Kim, chair of child and adolescent studies; Amy Nica, CSUF Jumpstart coordinator; and Keya Allen, assistant executive director of ASI.
Related topics: