Shonda Robinson is a Mississippi native currently serving as Senior Director of Early Head Start Child Care Partnerships at United Way Miami. In addition to her career in the non-profit world, she is also an adjunct instructor with Broward College’s Education department in Fort Lauderdale. Shonda holds a Master of Science degree in Early Childhood Education and a Bachelor of Science degree in Child Care and Family Education from Jackson State University in Jackson, Mississippi. Shonda has over 19 years of history in Early Childhood education with vast experiences ranging from teacher to management. Her many years of hard work to improve early learning environments for children has afforded her opportunities to train across the country and beyond to such distances as Italy to visit the infamous Reggio Emilia to study with fellow colleagues and peers gaining insight to their approach to early childhood education. Some of her professional contributions include serving on the Science for All Committee with the Orlando Science Center, Expert Panel member for Florida Developmental Standards revision with the Florida Office of Early Learning, and Expert Panel member for Outdoor Learning/Teaching with North Carolina State University. Throughout her time in the field, she has enjoyed working with diverse populations and environments that have helped shape her philosophy and approaches to learning for our little ones, enabling them to become lifelong learners. As a Head Start alumnus, Shonda continues to advocate and work for quality early care programs that serve the most vulnerable for she knows the impact programs such as Head Start can have on a child’s life trajectory. The work for children does not stop there as she continues with her plans to study infant mental health to address childhood trauma and abuse.