Rae Pica has been an education consultant (www.raepica.com) specializing in the education of the whole child, children’s physical activity, and developmentally appropriate practice since 1980. A former adjunct instructor with the University of New Hampshire, she is the author of 19 books, including the text Experiences in Movement and Music, in its 5th edition; the award-winning Great Games for Young Children and Jump into Literacy; and the parenting book, A Running Start: How Play, Physical Activity and Free Time Create a Successful Child. Rae is known for her lively and informative keynotes and trainings and has shared her expertise with such groups as the Sesame Street Research Department, the Head Start Bureau, Centers for Disease Control, the President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports, Nickelodeon’s Blue’s Clues, Gymboree, Nike, and state health departments throughout the country. Rae also blogs for Huffington Post, is a member of the executive committee of the Academy of Education Arts and Sciences, and is cofounder of the BAM Radio Network (www.bamradionetwork.com), the world’s largest online education radio network, where she currently hosts Teacher’s Aid, interviewing experts in education, child development, play research, the neurosciences, and more.