The Vermont Association for the Education of Young Children, the state’s largest membership organization for early-childhood educators, has announced its 2023 cohort of VTAEYC Exchange Fellows. Fellows are interdisciplinary leaders from Vermont’s early-childhood community who study intersections between early childhood and our planet, our diversity and our communities.
“These are urgent times,” said VTAEYC Exchange coordinator Ann Moore. “We know from research that climate change, social intolerance of all kids and isolation can have a concentrated impact on our children. We celebrate the work of our Exchange fellows, who develop creative and collaborative ways for early-childhood educators to take action on these matters, create rippling effects and make a difference.”
The 2023 fellows are:
- Our Planet — April Zajko of St Johnsbury, early-childhood educator and faculty member, Community College of Vermont.
- Our Diversity — Danielle Huston of East Montpelier, owner and operator of a family home child care program; Michelle Richling of Hinesburg, family support programs director, Prevent Child Abuse Vermont.
- Our Communities — Morgan Leichter-Saxby of Westminster, independent researcher and co-founder, Pop-Up Adventure Play; Cathy Siggins of Chester, early-childhood special educator, Two Rivers Supervisory Union, and faculty member, Vermont State Colleges and the Vermont Higher Education Collaborative.
The VTAEYC Exchange is supported by the Turrell Fund. Over a nine-month fellowship, each fellow develops a body of research and resources connected to their intersection of focus.