Dr. Castro has 25 years of experience conducting early childhood research, intervention, and program evaluation in the United States and Latin America. She serves as Director of the Center for Early Care and Education Research: Dual Language Learners, funded by the Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Dr. Castro's research focuses on the early care and education of young children who are dual language learners and on children from diverse cultural and ethnic backgrounds, with an emphasis on those living in poverty. She currently serves as Principal Investigator on the study Nuestros Niños Program: Promoting School Readiness for English Language Learners, funded by the National Institute for Child Health and Human Development (NICHD). She also directs a study of child care utilization patterns for Latino families funded by the Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Dr. Castro's previous work includes a national study of early childhood programsâ (TM) policies and practices to address the needs of Latino children and their families, an intervention study to promote early language and literacy among Latino Spanish-speaking children, the development and evaluation of a professional development program on cultural and linguistic diversity for early childhood professionals (New Voices ~ Nuevas Voces), and the evaluation of an Early Head Start initiative to support infants and toddlers who are dual language learners. She also has conducted studies of language and literacy development in young children, factors affecting the well-being of Latino immigrant families, and family involvement in Head Start. Dr. Castro has published numerous articles, book chapters, and reports and presents nationally and internationally as an expert on the early care and education of children who are culturally and linguistically diverse. She is originally from Peru and has lived in the United States since 1991. Ms. Ayankoya is a native North Carolinian, raised by her maternal grandparents (Rosa F. and John Johnson), who were share croppers, until her early elementary years. Her interest in culture began on that farm with aunts, uncles, and cousins who came for months at a time during harvest seasons. In Washington, D.C., she met her husband, Tai, and they lived for 41/2 years in his home community in Ibadan, in Nigeria. Even though it was a different country, the culture of extended family felt very familiar. These experiences, as well as those of their own children, have led to her belief that early life experiences should foster positive self-regard in oneâ (TM)s own culture and positive attitudes toward the culture of others. Since 1992, Ms. Ayankoya has provided consultation to early childhood projects and state administrators in program development, planning, and improvement related to young children with disabilities and their families. She played a key role in two national early intervention personnel preparation projects and served as Co-principal Investigator for New Voices ~ Nuevas Voces. Her work history includes university teaching, conference planning and management, professional development, and training. Ms. Ayankoya has served on numerous national advisory boards, served on the executive board as past Governor for the Division for Early Childhood (DEC), and served on the Representative Assembly of the Council for Exceptional Children. She currently serves on the DEC multicultural activities, nominations, and awards committees. Her expertise lies in the areas of cultural/linguistic diversity, professional development, family-centered services, and general supervision. Christina Kasprzak has more than 12 years of experience in supporting early intervention and early childhood special education programs across the United States in implementing the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Her technical assistance and training experience has focused on three areas: providing quality services for young children from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds, designing and conducting program evaluation, and measuring child and family outcomes for early intervention and early childhood special education programs. Ms. Kasprzak serves as Associate Director of Evaluation for the National Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center. She also is a technical assistance specialist for the Early Childhood Outcomes Center. Ms. Kasprzak was born and raised in Fairfax, Virginia. As a young college student at George Mason University, she began her lifelong passion for reducing poverty and discrimination.
