About the Presenters

Aruna Gilbert is the Chief Program and Policy Officer of the Early Learning Coalition of Palm Beach County, Inc., where she focuses on ensuring high-quality preschool experiences for children and excellent customer service for families and child care providers. Beginning at the United Nations Environment Programme, Aruna coordinated the Global Youth Forum on the topic of Youth and the Environment. This early experience ignited her passion for advocating for children and led her to work with some of Florida’s most vulnerable children with special medical needs as a Medical Foster Care Coordinator at the Florida Department of Children and Families in Palm Beach County. Recognizing the importance of addressing behavioral health issues in children, Aruna also served as a Behavioral Health Professional in Palm Beach public schools.

The 2023 James A. Kelly Award recipient for Advancing Accomplished Teaching and a 2014 inductee into the National Teachers Hall of Fame, Dr. Rebecca Palacios has more than three decades of experience in early childhood education. She is a pioneer in the field of dual language learning and is the Co-founder and former Vice Chairperson of the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS), which has certified more than 110,000 teachers.

Dr. Palacios has published 28 blog posts on helping parents support their young learners at home for The Huffington Post. She has written articles on teacher professional development, early childhood education, and dual language programs, and The Atlantic profiled her journey as an educator in their feature “A Witness to the Desegregation—and Resegregation—of America’s Schools.” Most recently, Dr. Palacios published her first book, Being Your Child’s Most Important Teacher: A Guide for Families with Young Children. She is currently a Senior Curriculum Advisor for Age of Learning.