Council Representatives Trained in Germany
Vivienne Oxford, Manager, Early Childhood Education and Vilma Williams, as members of the Council training team, will be representing the Council at the AEYC Europe Conference to be held at the Military Air Base in Ramstein, Germany. Vivienne and Vilma will complete CDA Training and Military School Age Training (MSA) for Council Representatives, Advisors and Candidates serving in all the branches of the military who are located overseas.
"There’s a lot of hard work involved in representing the Council and making sure we do a great job. We thank our colleagues Helen, Mary Beth, Deborah, the gentlemen in the Council’s Distribution Center, and everyone at the Council that contributes to the training team’s success because when we are successful, the Council meets its Vision of ensuring that all professional early childhood educators and caregivers meet the developmental, emotional and educational needs of the world’s youngest children.” said Vilma.
High Students Earn CDAs in Indiana
On February 23, Valora Washington, CEO and Vilma Williams, Senior Manager of Training and Outreach, went to Indianapolis, Indiana where they conducted a CDA Training for Indiana vocational and technical high school teachers.
"Indiana is one of the states we've been working with to adapt the CDA credentialing system to work more seamlessly with their community college system" Valora said. Vivian Oxford and Vilma have been working with Indiana representatives to create a written agreement about how to incorporate the CDA system into their high school curricula.
Head Start Professionals Inspired in Colorado
Valora Washington delivered the keynote address for the Colorado Head Start Association in early March. The focus of her address was on how early education professionals can thrive in the 21st century by understanding that:
1) People expect more academics from children today than they did in 1965, and
2) People don’t yet fully understand the impact new technology has on our children
Valora noted six strategies that comprise her vision for Head Start in the 21st century - a vision of how we can stay true to our principles in the changing environment we live in. She called the strategies “The ABCs of the 21st century”:
· Provide children in the 21st century with an active, appropriate, and authentic learning environment.
· Build on children’s interests
· Ensure that children have opportunities to be creative, curious, connected and collaborative.
· Your role as staff is to deepen and scaffold their learning
· Engage children and their families in meaningful ways.
· Leadership by all is critical
Celebrating Success in Pennsylvania
Valora Washington will be the Keynote Speaker at the 2012 PA Early Childhood Leadership and Public Policy Forum this weekend.
Sponsored by the Pennsylvania and Delaware Valley Associations for the Education of Young Children, the conference will be held in Harrisburg, PA on March 18-19. This forum brings together approximately 125 burgeoning and established early childhood leaders in Pennsylvania. At the event they will award the only statewide award for ECE advocates in Pennsylvania.
Valora’s topic, "Celebrating Our Success and the Leader Within You,” will honor the professional achievements of teachers, administrators and staff working on behalf of young children. Valora will speak about collective leadership as an essential element of any state plan to ensure quality. Success for all children is linked to our field’s ability to build on the lessons of the past while creating more synergy among us.
