What brought me to ECEA was working alongside my wonderful colleagues to make sure to teach my students in culturally relevant ways. I’m a member because I'm a teacher of early childhood students that teaches literacy and want to expand my horizon. Attending and presenting at the annual NCTE convention was a great experience and I'm glad I was able to participate. 

-Edith P. Gamble, Early Childhood Educator

I joined the ECEA right when I started in academia. I wanted a community of like-minded scholars who were deeply committed to equitable literacy policies and practices for young children--that is definitely what I found! I am a member because ECEA continues to provide a critical community of people who are thoughtfully engaged in and committed to equity praxis in early literacy education. I love this space!

-Kindel Turner Nash, Spangler Distinguished Professor of Early Childhood Literacy, Appalachian State University

I was drawn to ECEA because of the dynamic people involved in this assembly. I am a life-long member of ECEA because this assembly provides a network of amazing educators and teacher-educators and addresses relevant issues in early childhood education. The group of people involved in ECEA serve as inspiration for what's possible in ECE.

-Nancy Valdez-Gainer, Teacher educator at Texas State University

As both an educator and a writer, I have vowed to make it my duty to make sure that, to the best of my ability, children are able to find some sort of solace in various works of literature, just like I was fortunate to do growing up. I am extremely grateful to have the opportunity to be a member of the ECEA, for it has helped me manifest this dream and even take it a step further.

-Darius Phelps, Ph.D. Student, Poet, and Adjunct Instructor

I was involved in the beginnings of ECEA. Before this assembly, there was not a place for teachers, teacher educators and researchers who are committed to the preschool-kindergarten and early years of primary grades. ECEA is a special home for me.

-Laurie Katz, Professor in Early Childhood Education at The Ohio State University

I wanted to be in community with other early childhood educators who are engaging in conversations about identity and inequities with young children while disrupting the status quo. Young children are brilliant and curious and I became a member to connect with other early childhood educators committed to having critical conversations with children about race, ethnicity, gender, class and other parts of our identity that are used to maintain oppressive systems rather than celebrate the beauty in our uniqueness.  

-Tara Kirton, early childhood doctoral student and teacher educator