Deborah Hewitt: Deborah Hewitt began her work with young children as a therapeutic preschool teacher in the inner city. Her roles in early education include child care provider consultant, CDA advisor, MNAEYC board of directors, trainer-of-trainers, school readiness preschool teacher, and education manager for an urban Head Start. Currently, she is at the Minnesota Department of Education and provides staffing to Minnesota’s Early Childhood Advisory Council. She is also the coauthor of Play: The Pathway from Theory to Practice and The Optimistic Classroom: Creative Ways to Give Children Hope.