Title: Early Childhood Specialist, Consultant, and Trainer
Company: MnAEYC-MnSACA
Location: Bloomington, MN United States

Although Kristen Wheeler Highland is passionate about helping children, she knew she wanted to do something other than teach in a classroom. With the help of her mentors, who inspired her and helped her discover what path to take, she decided to specialize in early childhood development and reach kids on a larger scale through their educators.  In her mind, if she can guide, for example, 35 family child care providers with at least 10 kids in their care, that is the equivalent of 350 students as opposed to the one classroom she would be teaching.

Throughout Ms. Wheeler Highland’s 27-year career, she has held many positions within the early childhood realm, which has given her an appreciation for the rich depth and diversity of the early childhood settings available for families. She currently utilizes that broad experience with MnAEYC-MnSACA, which is a combination of organizations with the joint mission of supporting child care centers, family child care homes, and school age care sites on their pathway to program improvement and national accreditation. In her role with the organization, Ms. Wheeler Highland provides educational staff with direction in regards to social, emotional, mental health, and behavioral concerns within the classroom, and writes and conducts workshops on a variety of topics. Her style when dealing with others is laid back; she enjoys infusing humor and stories from her own life and experiences into her work.

The biggest challenge Ms. Wheeler Highland faced was balancing work and life, especially as a single parent for eight years. She believes that having a job that she is passionate about made the rough days easier, however, and would advise the younger generation of women to choose a job close to their hearts. Ms. Wheeler Highland is proud of raising her children to become successful adults, and for creating a legacy for herself as a successful early childhood trainer.

To prepare for her career, Ms. Wheeler Highland earned a bachelor’s degree in child psychology and early childhood from the University of Minnesota Twin Cities in 1983, and is three credits shy of completing a master’s degree in adult education and early childhood mental health from the same institution. She is also an approved trainer with the Minnesota Center for Professional Development in many subjects, including creative curriculum and teaching strategies GOLD. Ms. Wheeler Highland is a member of the National Association for the Education of Young Children and The International Women’s Leadership Association. When she isn’t working in education, she is an individual distributor of essential oils, and makes diffuser jewelry.

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