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Early Childhood program wins advocacy award

Thursday, Oct 25, 2012
Loraine O'Connell

From left: Tanya Rose, grant coordinator for Early Childhood Education; Professor Dianne Waller;  Nana Robertson, program manager; and Claudia Gonzalez, vocational coordinator.

Seminole State College of Florida’s Early Childhood Education Program has received “The Outstanding Advocate, 2012” award from the Central Florida Chapter of the Association for the Education of Young Children.

The award, which cited the program for its “advocacy efforts for young children and their families,” was presented Oct. 12 at a luncheon held at the Marriott World Center in Orlando.

Earlier this year, Seminole State’s Early Childhood Education Program became the first in Florida to achieve national accreditation from the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC).

NAEYC is the leading membership association for those working with and on behalf of children from birth through age 8. The NAEYC Academy sets and monitors standards for high-quality early childhood education programs and accredits programs that meet these standards. Among the strengths the NAEYC cited in reviewing Seminole State’s programs were “faculty who are passionate, knowledgeable and diverse in their early childhood experiences.”

Seminole State’s Early Childhood Education Program provides students with a diverse educational foundation leading to an Associate in Science Degree in Early Childhood Education or in Early Childhood Management. The program also prepares students for certification as childcare center managers, early intervention specialists and preschool specialists.

For more information, visit Seminole State’s Early Childhood Education website, or call 407.708.2413.