NAEYC Celebrates 100 Years!

Enjoy this article about NAEYC’s 100 years. It takes the reader back in history a bit and then brings you forward to present day.
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Central California Chapter

If any folks from the Central California Chapter attend the CAAEYC 2026 Conference, there will be an opportunity for a meet-in-greet. This includes Fresno, Kings, Madera, Mariposa and Tulare Counties. This is a time to share your insight into how our chapter can serve the early care and education professionals in our counties. So, stop in, share your thoughts and meet some new folks from your hometown areas. The location will be listed in the Conference Program. If you are not attending the conference and would like to be part of this conversation, please email Sally Rowden at rowdensally2@gmail.com and share your insights.

Redwood Coast Chapter - Strumming Toward Wellness

CAAEYC Redwood Coast Chapter and Changing Tides Family Services Bring Music to the Wellness Cohort

In a region known for its deep roots in community and creativity, a new partnership is striking a chord — one dedicated not just to the children in early childhood settings, but to the educators who nurture them every day.

Through a collaborative grant from First 5 Humboldt, CAAEYC Redwood Coast Chapter and Changing Tides Family Services have partnered to bring ukuleles and music-making skills to members of the Changing Tides Wellness Cohort. The grant was written by Leah Sanders — Redwood Coast Chapter President in the final months of her term — who also secured the ukulele order that made the project possible from the ground up. Funded by the grant, twelve ukuleles were purchased and placed directly in the hands of Wellness Cohort members. Mantova’s 2 Street Music, with Anthony Mantova as a key community partner, helped source and prepare the instruments. Leah also leads Humboldt Ukulele Educators (HUE), a local music group for early childhood educators, which will serve as an ongoing space for cohort members to connect and play.

A Community Effort, String by String
This project came together through the dedication of people who went above and beyond to make it a reality — and then some. Deanna Sanders (no relation) — a former licensing analyst turned community ukulele leader — donated an additional ten ukuleles to Redwood Coast Chapter, dramatically extending the project’s reach. Those ten instruments will be given out to educators across the broader community, including Transitional Kindergarten, elementary and special education teachers, ensuring that the gift of music ripples well beyond the Wellness Cohort itself.

Sydney Fisher Larson, Treasurer of the CAAEYC Redwood Coast Chapter and Treasurer of the CAAEYC State Board, arranged to have Deanna’s donated ukuleles restrung at Mantova’s 2 Street Music, ensuring every instrument was performance-ready. Sydney also joined Leah in picking up the full order and presenting at the workshop, bringing both her logistical talent and her warm presence to the evening.

Sydney perhaps put it best when she summed up the magic of the ukulele in one simple truth: “You can’t be grumpy when you play a ukulele.”

It’s exactly this kind of behind-the-scenes leadership — and infectious enthusiasm — that makes community projects like this one sing.

A Broad and Diverse Group of Educators
The Changing Tides Wellness Cohort brings together a rich cross-section of Humboldt County’s educational community, with twelve Family Childcare Providers — home-based programs serving infants through preschool-age children — at its heart. Deanna Sanders' donation of ten ukuleles extends the project's reach across the region, touching educators in early childhood, elementary, special education, family services, and beyond. Together, these educators represent the full continuum of care and learning that children in Humboldt County experience, from their earliest days through the primary grades. The addition of ukuleles to the cohort’s wellness programming is a natural fit — music is a proven tool for stress relief, creative expression, and community connection, all things that the Wellness Cohort is designed to cultivate.

Music as a Wellness Practice
The partnership is built on a simple but powerful idea: when educators thrive, children thrive. Whether working in a licensed home-based childcare program or a public school classroom, educators across all settings carry significant emotional and physical demands. The ukulele, in particular, is uniquely suited to this work — affordable, portable, gentle on the fingers, and quick to learn. Within just a few sessions, even brand-new players can strum songs that delight toddlers and school-age children alike, bringing joy into their own lives and the learning environments they create.

Rooted in Collaboration
The CAAEYC Redwood Coast Chapter and Changing Tides Family Services — Humboldt County’s local resource and referral agency — have long shared a commitment to supporting the educators who care for the region’s youngest children. This grant project is a natural expression of that shared mission, made possible by First 5 Humboldt’s investment in educator wellness. Leah, who operates Greenwood Learning Tree Family Childcare in Eureka and brings nearly two decades of advocacy for the providers and children of the North Coast, saw in this collaboration an opportunity to put something tangible, joyful, and lasting into the hands of the people who need it most.

Play Is Serious Work
Leah is fond of saying: “Play is serious work.” The same is true of music. When an educator picks up a ukulele — whether in a home childcare living room or a school classroom — something meaningful happens. A moment of joy, of connection, of creativity that ripples outward into every learning environment they touch.

This collaboration between the CAAEYC Redwood Coast Chapter and Changing Tides Family Services is proof that investing in the people who care for and educate our children is one of the most powerful things a community can do. And through Humboldt Ukulele Educators, cohort members will have an ongoing, welcoming space to connect, play, and keep the music going long after the last string is strung.

Pictured (left to right): Leah Sanders, CAAEYC Redwood Coast Chapter President; Sydney Fisher Larson, CAAEYC State Board Treasurer; and Leah’s daughter — proudly presenting ukuleles for the Wellness Cohort Music and Movement Workshop on March 31, 2026.