Ms. Cheng is the creator of the Anji Play approach, former Director, Office of Pre-Primary Education, Anji County Department of Education, Zhejiang Province; Member, Play and Materials Professional Committee, China National Society of Early Childhood Education.

Her research includes public policy and management in pre-primary education, early childhood curricula, and play. In 2004, Ms. Cheng was recognized by Zhejiang Province with its highest honor for her 2004 research initiative “Rural Early Childhood Education Management and Development Strategies.” In 2014, she received the “Highest Honor for National Achievement in Pre-K-12 Education” from the Ministry of Education of China for “The Practice and Exploration of the 'Anji Play' Approach.”

She has presented her work to colleagues and audiences at Columbia University, MIT, Mills College, Stanford University, University of Wisconsin-Madison, and other learning and play communities throughout the world.

In addition to his work as Chief Interpreter and Translator for Anji Play founder Ms. Cheng Xueqin, he has also authored numerous articles and essays on the history and practice of the Anji Play Approach, including “The Anji Play Ecology of Early Learning” (Childhood Education, Vol. 95, No. 1).

Jesse has lectured on the historical significance of the work of Ms. Cheng and the educators of Anji County, China at organizations and institutions including Google, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and BRAC.

Jesse works closely with Ms. Cheng to translate the ideas and concepts of Anji Play for a global audience. Together they have identified pilot programs and cultivated practice leaders in North and South America, Europe, Asia, Africa, and Australia.

Through her company Heroes Will Rise, Cas designs and manufactures tools for the imagination. These materials are manipulable parts and pieces which inspire constructive play, imaginative forms, and cooperative interactions between people.

In 2015, Cas worked with Ms. Cheng and the educators of Anji County to standardize the design of Anji Play materials for mass production. Since that time, she has developed a close working relationship with Ms. Cheng, and shares her insights from Anji with her students and audiences around the world.

Cas is full time faculty at RISD, in the Industrial Design Department. She relocated from Brooklyn to Hope, RI where she prototypes her playthings on five acres known as Camp Fun.