As part of NAEYC’s centennial, Year of Reflections highlights the journeys, relationships, and defining moments that shape careers in early childhood education.
Children start developing their self-image at a young age. As children grow, adults can help them form positive views or perceptions of themselves, including about their physical characteristics and behaviors.
NAEYC promotes high-quality early learning for all children, birth through age 8, by connecting practice, policy, and research. We advance a diverse early childhood profession and support all who care for, educate, and work on behalf of young children.
NAEYC promotes high-quality early learning for all children, birth through age 8, by connecting practice, policy, and research. We advance a diverse early childhood profession and support all who care for, educate, and work on behalf of young children.
NAEYC promotes high-quality early learning for all children, birth through age 8, by connecting practice, policy, and research. We advance a diverse early childhood profession and support all who care for, educate, and work on behalf of young children.
Strong leadership is crucial in early childhood education settings. Many education leaders begin their careers as teachers. Carlyn Rahynes, founding principal of Learning Through Play Pre-K Center in the Bronx, New York, is no exception.
As part of NAEYC’s centennial, Year of Reflections invites educators, advocates, and community members to share the experiences that have shaped their journeys in early childhood education.
Early childhood educators do some of the most important work in our communities. Yet despite the skill and expertise the work requires, early childhood educators remain among the most underpaid professionals in the country.
Early childhood education programs play an important role in teacher preparation, “serving as field sites where emerging professionals can develop their knowledge, skills, and dispositions under the mentorship of experienced early childhood educators."
NAEYC promotes high-quality early learning for all children, birth through age 8, by connecting practice, policy, and research. We advance a diverse early childhood profession and support all who care for, educate, and work on behalf of young children.
In the Summer of 2025, Congress passed H.R. 1 - or “the One Big Beautiful Bill” or the Reconciliation legislation - which included a number of changes to Title IV of the Higher Education Act.
As NAEYC celebrates 100 years of promoting high-quality early learning, we acknowledge that its mission has been shaped by many notable figures in the field.
Authored by
Authored by:
Mary E. Lyons, Tanya Espinosa Cordoba, Stephanie C. Sanders-Smith, Michaelene M. Ostrosky
Barbara T. Bowman’s contributions to early childhood education over the course of seven decades have been felt at every level, including teacher education, professional development, public policy, and research.
NAEYC promotes high-quality early learning for all children, birth through age 8, by connecting practice, policy, and research. We advance a diverse early childhood profession and support all who care for, educate, and work on behalf of young children.
Explore the Annual Conference Learning Lab Collection, featuring 10 of the most in-demand sessions from the 2025 Annual Conference, now available online.
Explore the Annual Conference Learning Lab Collection, featuring 10 of the most in-demand sessions from the 2025 Annual Conference, now available online.
What is the relationship between the type and amount of professional support accessed by ECE educators and their self-reported intentions about staying or leaving the ECE field?
Authored by
Authored by:
NAEYC’s Applied Research and Policy and Professional Advancement Teams
At NAEYC, we believe that high-quality early learning takes place in settings that are developmentally appropriate and that holistically consider all of the facets of a program.
