In his keynote, Professor Junlei Li speaks about the power of everyday interactions in early childhood. From observing orphanages and impoverished neighbourhoods, he learned to appreciate caregivers’ ordinary yet powerful interactions. He draws on his co-developed Simple Interactions approach which encourages, enriches, and empowers interactions around children and their helpers.
Junlei Li is the Program Chair of the Human Development and Education and the Saul Zaentz Senior Lecturer in Early Childhood Education at Harvard Graduate School of Education. As a developmental psychologist, his research and practice focus on supporting the helpers – those who serve children and families on the frontlines of education and social services. Studying orphanages, child care, schools, youth programs, he co-develops the “Simple Interactions” approach to help affirm what ordinary people do extraordinarily well with children in everyday moments. His work is significantly inspired by the pioneering work of Fred Rogers when he served as the Co-Director and Rita M. McGinley Chair for Early Learning and Children’s Media at the Fred Rogers Center.