Preschool teacher Megan Barber and policy director Erin Helgren share how their school district in rural Oregon created solutions to keep young children learning through the pandemic.
Megan Barber is the Yoncalla School District Preschool Director and Head Teacher. She has a strong background in social work and parenting education as well as elementary education. These experiences have given her the gift of understanding the unique needs of all children and families, in particular those who have endured challenging life circumstances. Barber has been instrumental in shifting the model of educational approaches in Yoncalla -- she believes in the power of connection and the universal right for all children to feel safe and valued. She currently lives in rural Douglas County, Oregon with her son and daughter.
Erin Helgren joined the Children's Institute in November 2015. She brings nearly 25 years of experience and knowledge working with young children and families. She has experience in a wide range of programming, including home visiting, early childhood classrooms, parenting education and play to learn groups.
Before joining Children’s Institute, Helgren worked as the North Douglas County Family Relief Nursery program manager. In this position, she built programming around the unique needs of rural, isolated families. These experiences have given her a deeper understanding and insight into the needs of rural communities. Helgren supports the Yoncalla School District in the Early Works project, a comprehensive approach to meeting the needs of young children through community engagement, parent/ teacher collaboration and aligned programs for families. In addition, she leads the district’s emerging P3 alignment work. She currently lives and works in rural Oregon.
You can follow host Evelyn Lauer on Twitter @evelynalauer.