Jim Greenman Will Be Missed

04/07/2009

In the garden of your days, cultivate festivity, play and celebrations.
Mary Anne Radmacher, Live Boldy

This weekend Jim Greenman passed away after fighting a long battle with cancer. In his final days, and throughout the illness, his family comforted him, including his daughters Emma and Annie.

Jim was an inspiration to everyone at Exchange, as well as to early childhood professionals around the world. His insightful thinking about what makes for the best environments for children and families, both environmentally and programmatically, pushed the field toward higher and higher standards of caring. His published works — books such as Caring Spaces, Learning Spaces: Children's Environments that Work; Places for Childhoods: Making Quality Happen in the Real World; Prime Times: A Handbook for Excellence in Infant and Toddler Care;and What Happened to My World; and countless articles in Exchange over the past 30 years (one of which can be found on the Exchange web site) — will certainly continue to inspire future generations of early childhood professionals.

In noting the passing of Jim, Bright Horizons Family Solutions leaders Dave Lissy and Mary Ann Tocio observed...

"Jim was a legend not only within Bright Horizons, but in the entire field of early education. And while his passing leaves a major void in our hearts and in the early childhood profession, his legacy leaves an ever-lasting gift to children and to educators that will sustain for generations to come. Jim brought respect to early educators by insisting on respect for young children. He knew the purpose in their play and unveiled it for the world to see messy little scientists, emerging builders, acrobats, and artisans. He ensured that we don't ask, 'How smart is this child?' but rather, 'How is this child smart?'

"Jim advocated for children and their teachers from the streets of Minnesota to the halls of government in Washington, DC to the classrooms in child care centers around the globe. At Bright Horizons you can see his impact in gentle book nooks in the toddler classroom, in the preschool's dramatic play corner, and in the spots on the playground dedicated to the exploration of even the youngest infants. You can see his impact in the work of the Bright Horizons Foundation for Children, which he led with a great sense of purpose. Whether in the Head Start programs of his earliest years or in the Bright Spaces he helped to build across the U.S. and Europe, Jim was dedicated to ensuring that all children, no matter their circumstances, have spaces to call their own, to learn, to be safe, and to grow. He leaves his mark on the Web on BHU and in the advocacy of men in child care. And he leaves those who knew him best with an understanding that you may not mourn his loss without also paying tribute to his unmatchable irreverence and tremendous wit."

Bright Horizons is considering the great outpouring of ideas on how to pay tribute to the work of Jim, and when they have arrived at a plan we will announce it in ExchangeEveryDay.

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For more information about Exchange's magazine, books, and other products pertaining to ECE, go to www.ccie.com.