Chantal Lamourelle, M.S.

Chantal Lamourelle is a full-time Assistant Professor for the Santa Ana College, Child Development and Education Studies Department. Chantal has been in the field of early childhood education since the age of fifteen and has taught infants to adults for the past 30 years. She has experience teaching community college and university students, both online and onsite, working as a child care center director, professional growth advisor, workshop presenter, and Director of Education for Pretend City Children's Museum serving children birth through age 8.

Chantal received her undergraduate degree from University of California, Los Angeles (U.C.L.A.) in music and sociology. Upon her completion from U.C.L.A., she attended University of California, Irvine (U.C.I) and California State University, Long Beach (C.S.U.L.B.) to obtain a child development permit and then Nova Southeastern University for a Masters of Science in Early Childhood Education Administration. Being a lifelong learner, she is currently a doctoral candidate at Walden University studying Curriculum, Assessment and Instruction and will graduate in 2021. 

Project REACH (Readiness and Early Activities for Children from the Heart) at California State University in Long Beach was a five year early literacy and family learning research grant for five Head Start preschools and two state-funded preschools.  Chantal was the Program Director of Project REACH, and she mentored 80 early learning professionals' to complete early childhood certificates or degrees and several preschool centers became accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children.

Chantal served as Director of Education for Pretend City Museum in Irvine, California and helped with the museum exhibit design and created programming and curriculum for parents, children, and interns from local colleges and universities. She also established a special museum play night for families with children with autism and developed the museum's $3.5 million dollar," Good to Go from Head to A Toe" developmental screening grant with Commission for Families and Children.

Over the past 15 years, Chantal has been a workshop presenter at many national, state, and local conferences serving early childhood educators on the topics of leadership, brain development, learning, dramatic play, preschool STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math), and special populations and needs.

Chantal is committed to the field of Early Childhood Education (ECE) and influenced early by constructivist thinking, Reggio Emilia philosophy, Howard Gardner, Lev Vygotsky and brain science which serve as the foundation of her teaching philosophy. “Children and adults learn by doing, in nurturing, low stress environments, that respect unique their natures, talents, and ways of being in context of society."  In her spare time, Chantal donates her time to support non-profit organizations with grant writing, and enjoys adventuring with her family.