Lauren Snelling (she/her) is an early childhood counselor at the University of Chicago Laboratory Schools in Chicago. Snelling is a trained trauma psychotherapist turned educator, counselor and speaker who is committed to disrupting systems in an effort to support Black children and help all children create a strong foundation of identity. In 2022, she was awarded the Mary V. Williams Award for Excellence in Teaching. Dedicated to rest, self-care, community building and creating positive visibility within the early childhood field, she is a member of the Early Childhood Leaders of Color Collaborative. In her free time, she forages and gardens with her son and is an advocate for food sovereignty, which is foundational to her work as a herbalism apprentice at Urban Growers Collective.
