Seventeen years ago, when Jessica Arce’s daughter was in preschool at the Latin American Community Center in Wilmington, Jessica was a regular volunteer. That volunteering role turned into a paid job at the community center, and she later worked at a local Montessori preschool as well. When a medical issue in her family led her … Read more
Ask family child care (FCC) educator Tredena Trott if she has any advice for FCC colleagues who are thinking about attending DIEEC’s 1st State Family Child Care Conference this year, and her response is simple: “GO!” Being the only adult in your workplace can be challenging. The conference is an opportunity to meet and connect … Read more
Meghan Eudy is the 2024 DIEEC Early Childhood Educator of the Year award in the center-based program category! Meghan has been in the field for 14 years, all of them with the Delaware Technical and Community College Child Development Center (Owens Campus) in Georgetown. In this Provider Spotlight, we share Meghan’s reflections on her role, … Read more
Meet Mary Waters, winner of the 2024 DIEEC Early Childhood Educator of the Year award in the family child care category! Her program, known as Ms. Mary’s Nature Preschool, is located in Hartly DE. Read on to learn more about how Mary finds inspiration, builds connections with families, and meets challenges on a daily basis … Read more
This month, we’re sharing a few more Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) activities from programs that participated in DIEEC’s Anti-Bias Education: Diversity professional learning experience (PLE) back in February. Two programs used a “loose parts faces” activity with children as the basis for discussing emotions and expressions. Valerie Brown, lead Pre-K teacher at Cadence Academy … Read more
Cathy Lopez-Cooling, administrator of the Children’s House Montessori program in Wilmington Del., participated in DIEEC’s Anti-Bias Education: Diversity professional learning experience (PLE) in February of this year. Following the first sessions of this PLE, participants are challenged to put what they’ve been learning into action, and supported as they explore new options and opportunities. The … Read more
Incorporating diversity in early childhood educators’ planning and interactions allows for deeper, caring relationships with children and families. Delaware Institute for Excellence in Early Childhood (DIEEC) staff recently had the opportunity to learn about how one program is approaching this important topic. Lisa E. Ratliff, co-owner/co-director of the little school at Kids Cottage in Dover, … Read more
May was an exciting month of celebrations, including Provider Appreciation festivities and DIEEC’s Early Childhood Educator of the Year. We thought it was only fitting to focus this latest installment of Voices from the Field on 2023’s winner
In 1995, Stacy Morgan left her banking career to start her family child care program to spend more time with her one-year-old son. More than 25 years later, she’s helped launch generations of children in Townsend, Delaware, with her investment in creating an environment that facilitates learning and character development. “At my program, Little Bit … Read more
It is imperative to have men in early childhood education, but why? According to recent research by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (naeyc), early childhood education plays a critical part in young children’s gender identity development. When young children do not have relationships with male teachers and caregivers, traditional gender stereotypes … Read more
DELAWARE INSTITUTE FOR
EXCELLENCE IN EARLY CHILDHOOD
