Alice Blecker (she/her) is a first-year PhD student in the Department of Teaching and Learning at NYU Steinhardt, focusing on Early Childhood and Urban Education. Her research interests include early childhood policy, workforce development, and family-centered care. She explores links between teacher preparation and working conditions and outcomes for children and families. She aims to elevate providers’ and families’ voices in shaping early childhood policy and practice.
Before beginning her doctorate, Alice served as the 2025 Research and Policy Fellow at the Children’s Funding Project, an Adjunct Faculty of Teacher Education at the City University of New York, and an Instructional Designer at the Stanford Graduate School of Education’s Center for Early Childhood. Across these roles, she specialized in translating research into accessible resources for families, providers, and policymakers. She earned her BA in Child Development and her MA in Early Childhood Education at Mills College, where she focused on Education Policy. Her work in the early childhood mixed-delivery system bridges research, policy, and practice and is grounded in her experience as an early care and education provider.