NAEYCNEWS education profession through a variety of NAEYC roles. These have included providing input on NAEYC’ s developmentally appropriate practice and advancing equity position statements and contributing to NAEYC publications and professional development resources. Today, Garnett teaches 19 kindergartners from a range of countries, including Ukraine, Japan, and Jordan.
How I learned about NAEYC: I was in graduate school for my master’ s degree, and I took a course on play. It was eye-opening and gave me a developmental understanding of the benefits of play. At the time, I was a pre-K teacher, and I had a class of all boys. My class was full of rough-andtumble play. I went to my advisor and mentioned that I was interested in the concept of big body play. He and I created workshops, then he signed me up for a NAEYC conference.
We are helping young children develop autonomy and a willingness to think on their own. The work we do as a profession has everlasting impacts on the children, families, and communities we serve.
Photographs: courtesy of the authors Copyright © 2026 by the National Association for the Education of Young Children. See Permissions and Reprints online at NAEYC. org / resources / permissions.
What NAEYC means to me: NAEYC has helped me refine my pedagogy and improve my professional interactions. Developmentally appropriate practice is my foundation. When we’ re grounded in theory and practice, we can really understand children’ s development and foster their learning. NAEYC is a community: A community of practice, a community of advocates, a community that highlights what we do.
Why I celebrate NAEYC’ s centennial: One hundred years is a reason to celebrate— particularly now, in the context of our society. This anniversary is a time to look back at how far we have come in the field and how we continue to impact children. It is a reminder of the joy and love we all should have for each other and for the youth who are our future.
What I hope for the next 100 years: As a field, I hope that we stay attuned to changes in technology, like artificial intelligence and social media. How can we support children through these changes? How can we use them in our work? We also need to stay attuned to current events. Sometimes my heart becomes sad when I think about the current state of the world. But then I remember there is hope and a reason to smile.
90 Young Children
Spring 2026