Kristen Torkelsen
Finger Lakes
Kristen Torkelsen joins QUALITYstarsNY with over 20 years of experience in early childhood education. She holds a Bachelors degree in Communicative Disorders and a Masters degree in Inclusive Education. Over the years, Kristen has dedicated her professional career to improving early childhood practices and ensuring equity in early childhood programs. She has worked as a Referral and Special Needs Specialist at a local CCR&R, providing support for providers, children, and their families. Kristen has also served as an Early Childhood Education and Disabilities Coordinator at a Community Based Organization providing Universal Pre-Kindergarten as well as Head Start/Early Head Start programming. She is a master observer for CLASS and ECERS. Kristen has extensive training and knowledge of High Scope, Creative Curriculum, NAEYC Accreditation, and Pyramid Model implementation. She continuously seeks out training opportunities to expand her skillset and knowledge base to be better equipped to support those in the early childhood community.