ANA ARACELLY OLGUIN Ph.D. is an assistant professor at Yew Chung College of Early Childhood Education (YCCECE) in Hong Kong. Concurrently, she is the pedagogical advisor for Pamela Peck Discovery Space PPDS, a play space and living laboratory located on the ground floor of YCCECE.
As an Assistant Professor, Dr. Olguin teaches a variety of courses to pre-service early childhood education ECE teachers including research basics, family involvement, integration of curriculum, and theories of play to name a few. She supervises and mentors students in their final year capstone projects and has also taught Kindergarten principalship courses.
In her role as pedagogical advisor for PPDS, she oversees all pedagogical matters to ensure that the activities at the Space are reflective of best practices in ECE such as free-play, child’s choice, and learning through play. She supervises a team of in-service teachers as they engage in a cycle of planning, implementing, and reflecting to ensure the quality of the activities specially curated for the young children and the families that visit the Space.
She earned her doctoral degree in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. During her time as a doctoral student, she obtained the university’s distinction of Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching. She’s also earned a specialist degree in ECE from the University of Florida and a master’s degree in mental health counseling from NOVA Southeastern University. She has published in Teachers College Record and participated in various international conferences as presenter. Most recently at the PECERA conference held in Bali, Indonesia.
Ana firmly believes that teaching young children is a labor of love that takes heart, mind, and relentless passion. She also believes that early childhood educators just like the children in their charge, thrive when they are being nurtured mind, body, and soul. Quality education is the work of passionate synergies and passionate synergies exist in places that nurture everyone around reciprocally and intentionally.