Dear colleagues,

In my visits to early learning programs, I love witnessing how educators create warm and responsive environments for children and families. From Texas to Pennsylvania and beyond, I have observed programs where children regularly see photos of themselves and their families throughout classrooms, and they see their artwork celebrated on the walls of the schools. These learning communities honor children’s and families’ strengths, interests, and contexts. They display the intention of educators like you in creating environments of belonging, a key aspect of developmentally appropriate practice.

My visits resonate with something I personally experienced. As a kindergartner, I had a teacher who modeled curiosity and valued children for who they were. She sought to use my classmates’ curiosity and comments about the Korean lunches I brought from home as an opportunity to foster wonder and interest rather than rejection and othering. Her approach modeled and inspired kindness, compassion, and respect for others and offered a learning community where my family and I, and other families like mine, could feel embraced and a sense of belonging.

Whether you are teaching in centers, homes, or schools, you are transforming lives each day. Your ability to partner with families and nurture children is a source of joy for our association. We take pride in elevating the transformative impact you have through the high-quality learning spaces you create in centers, family child care homes, and schools across the country.

We are grateful for the invaluable work that you do and to have you as part of the NAEYC community. Thank you for looking to NAEYC as the place to continue supporting and amplifying this important work. And we hope to see you at the 2023 Annual Conference, November 15–18!

In gratitude,

Michelle Kang

Chief Executive Officer