Hello! My name is Ashley Acers and I'll be a guide for the Bridges to the Future Conference! A little about me... I was born and raised in Oklahoma...Go Sooners! While studying Occupational Therapy at the University of Oklahoma, my after school job was in childcare. I couldn't shake my love for working with young children. As I grew up, I grew within the field: teaching, directing, curriculum development, developing a dozen centers across the country while serving as a military wife; finally creating my own school in Salem, Oregon. Working in Child Development across the country has blessed me with three unique and vibrant daughters adopted from foster care. Along the way, earning degrees in Children and Family Studies and Child Development. In July 2015, I earned the credit “Master Trainer" through Portland State University (OCCD) and have since had awesome experiences training many early childhood educators! A major highlight of my career being when invited to study at the Loris Malaguzzi International Centre in Reggio Emilia, Italy. This experience within the schools, philosophy and Italian culture changed my life! Another proud moment... The school that I founded, Kaleidoscope Community School was honored with a feature in the book Havens of Hope by Red Leaf Press. My goal and vision for this conference is to offer new information and interact through different media as a “round table” of professionals. Forget the podium and tedium...let’s learn together, exchange ideas and have a blast while doing it! Ideally creating and maintaining a place of mutual respect, confidence building; leading to unimaginable curiosity for teachers and children alike!