Starting in 2010, Karen has been dedicating herself to a career in young children’s early development and education. She studied Education/Multiple Subjects Teaching (Liberal Studies) at Fresno State University, California. Before she started Gulu Gulu, she had been working with different age groups of children, as well as volunteering in special education classrooms. All these experiences prepared her well for her future teaching path to serve more children and families!

Moreover, with the benefit of her Asian heritage, she is determined to bring diverse cultural values into her classrooms. She believes that teachers should provide a positive and caring environment for children to bolster their skills and achieve possible accomplishments.

As director of the program, Karen has been playing a leadership role with her staff, as well as being a team player! In order to reach this goal, Gulu Gulu offers staff development opportunities and staff events to build up team spirit.

Besides, parents and teachers should also work as a team! Therefore, Gulu Gulu offers parents ongoing communication platforms through email, phone meetings, Saturday playdates, and family events.

“As adults, we can inspire and encourage a love of learning in our children, but we can’t push them to learn. We can do far better by creating an environment of support — both at home and at school — in which children can develop their own ideas, express feelings, take chances, make choices, share their opinions, and most of all, grow to be strong individuals. By knowing what interests your child has and discovering how she/he learns best, we can help him/her build skills in the context of his/her strengths and assist him/her to explore the full potentials.”

Karen Chan, Director