We are hiring!!
If you’re looking for a new role in the early childhood profession, we would encourage you to apply to be a T.E.A.C.H. Counseling Specialist! Our T.E.A.C.H. Counselors work alongside early childhood professionals looking to earn more education in the field. This is a full-time position at our West Des Moines office with great benefits. For more information on the position and the application, please visit our website: iowaaeyc.org/about-us/employment
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Each year, Iowa AEYC accepts nominations to recognize outstanding early care and education professionals for their work in the field. This year’s winners proudly accepted their awards at the Fall Institute last weekend! We are excited to announce them to the public:
• Holly Allen (Influencer) (not pictured)
• Blanca Collins (Educator of the Year)
• Pam Ellis (Children’s Champion)
• Rachel Miller (Emerging Leader)
• Cassie Odland (Family Partnership) (not pictured)
• Kay Strahorn (Commitment to Young Children)
These women have done amazing things for young children, families, communities, and the workforce. Thank you for all that you’ve done!
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Big news: one of our staff members just earned her Bachelor’s degree!🥳
Amy has been with Iowa AEYC since March 2023 as a CDA® Navigator (after earning her own CDA and AA through the T.E.A.C.H. program), and she has been hard at work earning her Bachelor’s of Science in Early Childhood Education from Walden University! She just finished up her degree last month, and we couldn’t be prouder of this accomplishment for her.
Amy says, “I have always had earning a Bachelor degree set as a goal for myself, but, I didn’t think that I had the time to dedicate to being a student while working full time. As a non-traditional student who didn’t start my educational journey until my own children were in college, it seemed intimidating. But I have now been successful and couldn’t be prouder of my accomplishment of earning my Bachelor of Science degree in Early Childhood Education. Earning this degree will allow me to help others in the field with their educational goals of earning a Child Development Associate Credential and beyond.”
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Want to keep your momentum going from the Fall Institute? Consider joining one of our Professional Engagement Groups! We still have several meetings yet this fall, with the next one being hosted by the Leadership PEG. If you want to get involved in a PEG, be sure to email info@iowaaeyc.org!
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Introducing the person who was a major reason our Fall Institute was so successful: our Events Coordinator, Jonni!
Jonni has been with Iowa AEYC since December 2022. She has her BA in Event Management from Iowa State, and has various years of event planning under her belt. Here’s what she has to say about her experience working at Iowa AEYC:
"I love being the Events Coordinator for Iowa AEYC because I love the results at the end of our Institutes we hold each year. I love hearing from attendees what their favorite part about the events are. I also love being able to put faces to names of all the people I am in contact with each year for these institutes or other events. I am also a big fan of all the tiny details!"
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THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!
Because of YOUR participation, our annual Fall Institute was a huge success! It’s your passion for young children that keeps us going, and we are so proud to be able to offer you professional development opportunities that keep that fire lit. Between inspiring keynotes, valuable sessions, time for networking, and so much more, we loved seeing you learn, grow, and have fun. Stay tuned for save-the-dates for next year’s Spring and Fall Institutes!
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And that’s a wrap!🎬
We wrapped up the second (and last) day of the Institute with amazing keynote speaker Brocklin Qualls, 30+ valuable sessions, and so many memories for years to come! THANK YOU to each and every person who came to our Institute this weekend – it wouldn’t have been the same without you. Go forth and make a difference in the lives of young children!
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TODAY’S THE DAY!🥳🥳🥳
Day 1 of the 2024 Fall Institute was a HUGE success! We loved seeing all your smiling faces, note-taking, networking, learning, and more. Our morning keynote Tabatha Rosproy was a rockstar speaker, our 30+ breakout sessions were really informative, and overall, we just had so much fun. THANK YOU for joining us today – see you tomorrow for Day 2!
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As we kick off our weekend of the Fall Institute with our Pre-Institute sessions, we want to highlight one group that will be exhibiting: our Professional Engagement Groups (PEGs)!
Three of our PEG co-chairs (Kelley, Stephanie, and Julia) and a The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) representative (Nicole) traveled to Minnesota last weekend for Child Care For Every Family Network‘s Grassroots Assembly, and they’re fired up about it! This annual regional event brought together impacted families, providers, organizers, and leaders committed to advancing child care as a racial, economic, and gender justice issue.
These co-chairs are so excited to see you and share their experiences from this advocacy conference. Make sure you visit their table when you join us on Friday and/or Saturday – we can’t wait to see you!
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Our staff puts in many, many hours of behind-the-scenes work to help make the Institute an incredible experience for all of you. We are counting down the hours to the start of this amazing event – we can’t wait to welcome all of our incredible Pre-Institute participants tomorrow!
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It’s the first day of October, and you know what that means… Fall Institute is right around the corner!
We wanted to take a moment to thank all of the wonderful sponsors that help make this event possible: Care 4 Kids, Child Care Resource & Referral of Northwest Iowa, Collins Aerospace, Iowa Department of Education, Early Childhood Iowa, HINGE Advisors, Kaplan Early Learning Company, Northwestern College, Iowa, Storey Kenworthy, West Bank, and Workspace. Without these generous organizations, our Fall Institute wouldn’t be able to serve nearly as many early care and education professionals at such a high level of quality. THANK YOU!
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