Vivien Firta

Vivien Firta is an early childhood education leader based in Los Angeles with over 20 years of experience supporting educators, children, and families. She is the creator of the Belonging Before Behavior™ framework, which helps educators shift from managing behavior to building regulation, connection, and responsive classroom environments. As Director of Education at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Preschool, Vivien led program-wide professional development, coached teachers through real-time classroom support, and helped increase enrollment by strengthening the overall quality of the learning environment. Now working as an independent consultant, she partners with early childhood programs to implement play-based, inclusive, and culturally responsive practices. Her work focuses on translating theory into daily practice—supporting educators with concrete strategies, reflection tools, and in-the-moment coaching that leads to lasting change. Vivien’s leadership experience includes roles at Ocean Park Child Care Foundation and Burbank First United Methodist Church Nursery School, where she developed programs serving diverse communities and built strong, reflective teaching teams. She holds a Master of Arts in Organizational Leadership from Woodbury University and a Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies from California State University, Northridge.