A free, virtual gathering for Native American, early-childhood educators to collaborate and brainstorm re-envisioning early-childhood education in Native communities.
Participants will collaborate and explore the importance of the survival and fostering of culture and language, the social and emotional well-being of children and the cognitive benefit of learning heritage languages.
We meet virtually on the fourth Thursday of the month, from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Mountain Time.
For more information about our program, email our team.
Sims (Acoma Pueblo), is an associate professor in the Department of Language, Literacy and Sociocultural Studies and the director of the American Indian Language Policy Research and Teacher Training Center. Her work focuses on outreach to tribal communities on issues of language planning and training for Native speakers teaching language in communities and schools. She is a co- coordinator of a K-12 curriculum project: 100 Years of State and Federal Policy and The Impact on Pueblo Nations Curriculum. Email Sims.
Lansing (Diné) works in Early Childhood Education at the Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute. Prior, she served as a K-3 teacher in tribal communities in Arizona and New Mexico. Danielle earned a Bachelor’s of Arts in Elementary Education from the University of New Mexico, a Master’s of Education degree in Early Childhood Risk and Prevention from Harvard, and a Doctorate of Education in Education Administration and Supervision from Arizona State University. Email Lansing.
Rankin is a senior education and advocacy consultant in Excellence and Equity in Early Childhood Education. She is a member of Core Group of NM Reggio Emilia Exchange. Rankin's worked in ECE for 48 years as a teacher, researcher, scholar, executive and advocate. She was executive director of the New Mexico Association for the Education of Young Children for 16 years. She lived in Reggio Emilia from 1989 to 1990, studying the Reggio approach. Email Rankin.
Lim has taught in public school settings, private centers and CNM’s Early Childhood Education Program. She also runs a kids’ dance studio with her husband and family. Currently, she works as the program manager for the statewide Early Childhood Mentor Network. Early childhood is defined as birth to 5-years-old, and educators in this field work in a variety of school settings including private and public daycares, Head Start and Pre-K. Email Lim.
Remstein is the program coordinator of Education at UNM Taos. Remstein has been a Head Start teacher, education director, directed several early learning centers, mentor in New Mexico's Aim High Program and an adjunct instructor at Santa Fe Community College and UNM Taos.
Presently, she is ECED Faculty and Coordinator of Teacher Pathways at UNM-Taos. Additionally, she is an active member of Paso a Paso Network and the New Mexico Reggio Emilia Exchange. Email Remstein.
Bird (Santo Domingo Pueblo) is a program manager at UNM’s American Indian Language Policy Research and Teacher Training Center.
Her forty years of experience focus on the perspective of communities that have concern for the education of their children and survival of their communities. Viewing these as non-conflicting paradigms but complementary components in supporting the future of the tribes, she advocates for the study and provision of academically rich programs. Email Bird.
Moquino earned her Bachelor’s Degree in American Studies from Stanford University, her Master’s Degree in Bilingual Education from the UNM and completed her Montessori certification at the Montessori Education Center of the Rockies.
As a teacher in 2006, Moquino realized she wanted a different education for her own and other Pueblo children. She co-founded KCLC, as a Keres-immersion early childhood classroom using Montessori pedagogy. It now includes a Montessori dual-language elementary classroom. Email Moquino.