Katherine Kicey

Katherine Kicey holds a Master’s Degree in Early Childhood Curriculum and Instruction from Arizona State University and has over a decade of experience in early childhood education, working with children from toddlers to first graders across various settings, including school districts and the Arizona State University Child Development Lab. Her teaching background includes Title One schools, work with second language learners, home visiting programs, and inclusive classrooms.

Katherine serves as the Chair of Arizona’s Early Intervention Program (AzEIP) Comprehensive System of Personnel Development (CSPD) In-Service Committee, where she leads initiatives to improve accessibility and quality in early childhood professional development. She also holds an Infant and Toddler Mental Health Faculty Research Endorsement and collaborates closely with the Arizona Association for the Education of Young Children (AzAEYC), where she chairs the Infant Toddler Mental Health Coalition.

Katherine has actively contributed to the First Things First grant initiative, where she has served as a director mentor and worked closely with Head Start classrooms to help educators master relationship-based teaching practices. Her work includes training infant, toddler, and preschool providers in play- and relationship-based approaches, conducting observations, and providing coaching at childcare and Head Start centers across Arizona.

Currently, Katherine is deeply engaged in ASU’s Early Childhood Studies program, where she focuses on elevating the early childhood profession. She empowers online students through coursework and hands-on experience with young children aged 0-5 years. Her teaching philosophy emphasizes relationship-based and play-focused approaches, fostering meaningful connections with students and the early childhood community to advance the profession.