A preschool director with a doctorate from Teachers College, Ellen Cerniglia is an educator on a mission. She has ranged far and wide, from a large NYC early childhood center, to Touro College’s Graduate School of Education, where she is an associate professor, to Giocare Playschool (pronounced “Joe-kare,” Italian for the verb “to play”), which she founded, in Brooklyn, in the fall of 2011. But she didn’t stop there, adding three of her own children to the mix, and serving on the board of NYCAEYC, where she is now Co-President. Her passion for children and their healthy development infuses her work. She is a true advocate, balancing work, family--and play--with grace and intelligence.