What a wonderful adventure I am having in Copenhagen. This is a beautiful historic city filled with massive buildings, canals, and blooming flowers. Each day our class, “Learning Environment and Quality in Early Childhood Education” meets in the morning at Aarhus University. These sessions are filled with information about the importance of the environment, the development of young children, design principals, and how to help the environment function effectively for the children who live in an inclusive early childhood settings.

In the afternoon, we have small group discussions related to the topic of the day. This time is filled with thought provoking questions, interactions, and opportunities to put theory into practice. Each small group includes a Professor, either I or Dr. Rebecca Isbell or Grethe Kragh-Muller or Charlotte Ringsmose. This allows the students time to pose personal questions, reflect on issues and apply what we are discussing to their settings. As is often the case, it is the people who make this experience so special. The students and faculty have helped me gain new insight into the Danish system while identifying what will work in their environment. We have discovered that we share a deep commitment to creating quality environments for all children: in the US and in Denmark.