About Dr. Toy:
Dr. Stevanne Auerbach, known as "Dr. Toy," is an expert in education, parent education, child development, child advocacy, psychology, toys, children's products, play, child care and special education, she is a frequent speaker, consultant and spokesperson. She selects and evaluates the newest and best toys and other products for the annual feature " Dr. Toy's 100 Best Children's Products. " and provides other reviews year round.
She has appeared in interviews on The Today Show, the Donahue Show, Hour Magazine and many other talk shows on TV and radio throughout the country. She frequently contributes articles, features, interviews and quotes in newspapers and magazines including The New York Times, LA Times, Washington Post, USA Today, The Boston Globe, Miami Herald,Chicago Tribune, Kiplinger Magazine, U.S. News and World Report, Working Mother, Ms., Parents, Parenting, Child, Parenting Publications of America, Self, Money Magazine and many more.
Born in New York City, Dr. Auerbach attended Queens College and was a teacher in New York City, Maryland and the District of Columbia. In Washington, D.C., she worked as the Education Coordinator of Arena Stage's first, "Theatre in Education" program. As a staff member of the US Office of Education and the Office of Economic Opportunity, she was responsible for evaluating Title 1 programs, approved the first grant to Sesame Street, organized the first in-house day care center for employee's children (still operating and a model for the government), was the government representative and planner on the Day Care Forum of the 1970 White House Conference on Children, and developed a $2.5 million National Research and Development Program on Child Care.
After completing an MA at George Washington University and a Ph.D. at the Union Institute Graduate School, she focused on writing, consulting and speaking with emphasis on family issues. Among her 14 published books," The Toy Chest ", is the most comprehensive review on the history and selection of toys. Her book, " Choosing Child Care ", the first guide of its kind for parents, was recently revised and published by Barron's Educational Services. Two tapes, " Tips on Toys " and " Tips on Choosing Child Care " have been produced.
A consultant to toy companies and designers, she has also been a spokesperson for Viewmaster, Milton Bradley, and Duracell's National Toy Survey.
Dr. Auerbach was the founder/director of the innovative San Francisco International Toy Museum located in the historic Cannery in Fisherman's Wharf (the '89 earthquake forced the museum to close). This was the first museum where children could see both the history of toys and play with and test new toys and other products. During the three years it was open, more than 100,000 visitors from all over the world came to visit the unique Toy Museum.
Dr. Auerbach provides workshops on parenting issues at the workplace. Presentations have included Levi Strauss, Pacific Bell, UCSF, Department of Social Services and many others. She presents resourcs for teachers at NAEYC, and for state and local groups throughout the country. In 1992, she produced the Bay Area Education Celebration in two sites in San Francisco and Marin County. Exhibitors focused on life-time learning. It included SEGA, Kaiser Permanente, Industry Education Council of California, The Bay Guardian, KQED, School Districts of S.F. and Marin, Encyclopedia Britannica, Discovery Toys, Golden Gate University and others.
She is a long time member of the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), American Society of Journalists and Authors (ASJA), National Speakers Association (NSA), National and California Press Women, American Humanist Association (Humanist Counselor), American Personnel and Guidance Association (lifetime member). She is a proud mother and grandmother.
Dr. Stevanne Auerbach is the Director of the Institute for Childhood Resources, in San Francisco, CA founded in 1975. Dr. Auerbach currently produces a syndicated column, Dr. Toy, for King Features that is distributed to 1,500 newspapers nationwide. Her monthly on-line magazine, Dr. Toy's Guide, focuses on toys and children's products. You can find it on the the Internet's World Wide Web at: http://drtoy.com
Contact: Dr. Stevanne Auerbach / Dr. Toy
268 Bush Street
San Francisco, California 94104
800-551-8697
510-540-0171 (fax)
Web Work:
