David Gilkes has been involved in early years education for close to 30 years, the majority of this time working as a teacher alongside 4 and 5 year old children and their families. He has been Director of an Early Learning Centre in Canberra and an Early Years Network Leader in the Tasmanian Department of Education. David spent eight years as convener of the Tasmanian Reggio Emilia Network. In 2014, David was awarded a National Excellence in Teaching Award for Innovation in Early Childhood. David has published several articles and spoken at many conferences. He now works full time as an Education Consultant.