Early years leaders honoured
Friday, November 6, 2015
Two of the UK’s leading early years experts and trainers have been honoured for their exemplary leadership in the sector.
Early years consultant Laura Henry, founder of training organisation NETYCO, and Claire Warden, who runs Mindstretchers, have been named as ‘Exceptional Master Leaders in Education’ by the Childcare Exchange, a US-based partnership of early years providers.
Bonnie and Roger Neugebauer, who are also the founders of the World Forum Foundation, set up the network.
As part of their support of leadership in the early childhood sector they have created a global award, chosen by a panel of experts for exemplary leadership in early years.
Forty-nine experienced professionals who are over 45 years old have been chosen in the exceptional category.
Laura Henry and Claire Warden are the only experts from the UK to be given this accolade.
Ms Warden told Nursery World, ‘Laura and I were given an Exceptional Master Leader award for working locally, nationally, and internationally in our respective fields, a massively positive accolade for early childhood in the UK.’
Ms Warden, who set up the training consultancy Mindstretchers, is best known for her work on consulting children and the rights of the child through the development of techniques and tools such as her Talking and Thinking Floorbooks.
She also leads on work around the world on nature pedagogy, and runs a nature kindergarten in Perthshire in Scotland, where children spend most of their time outside.
Ms Warden is an international educational consultant working across Australia, Canada, USA and Europe. She is also international advisor to the Children and Nature Network, World Forum Foundation and the International School Grounds Group.
She is a visiting fellow and teaching fellow at Strathclyde University, Scotland, research fellow and consultant at The Federation University, Australia, and is currently undertaking a PhD exploring nature pedagogy.
Laura Henry is an expert international (Dubai, India, Europe, Asia and USA) award-winning educational specialist.
She is the founder of the community interest company for early childhood trainers and consultants, NEYTCO, vice-president of Early Education, and national representative for the World Forum on Early Care and Education.
Ms Henry told Nursery World, 'I am honoured to receive this recognition for early childhood education on a global level. To be included with so many global inspirational colleagues, is a real privilege. My aim is to continue to connect and collaborate with other colleagues on an international level. In turn this will have a positive impact on children and families.'
