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Fall Institute
The Fall Institute brings together early childhood professionals from across the state for a unique professional development opportunity. We invite you to join us as we network, share and learn togeth…
Our programs
Iowa AEYC offers a variety of programs to help early childhood professionals build their skills and provide high quality education for young children.
The latest from Iowa AEYC
Work hard, play hard!
Our T.E.A.C.H. and WAGE$ teams have made so much amazing progress this year, so we took an afternoon earlier this week to celebrate and be together! We went axe-throwing, and of course, no celebration would be complete without cake😉 It was so much fun to reflect on all of our wins (including the record number of T.E.A.C.H. participants and the new WAGE$ scale) and to gear up for the year ahead.
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Miss the deadline to register for the Pre-Institute sessions?
Well, you’re in luck! We were able to extend the deadlines for two of our three Pre-Institute sessions: EC-PBIS and Nature-Based Science. Hurry and register before the new deadline of September 25, when the Institute registration as a whole will close!
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On Tuesday, we kicked off the 2024-2025 Iowa Child Care Coalition! We met for several hours with representatives from organizations such as the Iowa Head Start Association, Common Good Iowa, Iowa Women’s Foundation, KinderCare Learning Centers, New Horizons Academy, Iowa Afterschool Alliance, United Way of Central Iowa, Save the Children Action Network, Iowa Community Action Association and more! We had a productive brainstorming session and we can’t wait to loop you all in on the incredible advocacy opportunities we have coming up. (Hint: Save the date for February 12 and May 9, 2025)
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👏 👏 how fantastic!
THE NUMBERS ARE OFFICIALLY IN💪
You may have remembered a couple months ago, we announced that we broke a record number of T.E.A.C.H. participants… but we jumped the gun just a tad. We’re just breaking the record even more now😉
To all 560 T.E.A.C.H. participants, Counselors, directors, mentors, families, and everyone else who got the word out about how you could earn your degree with little to no debt using the T.E.A.C.H. scholarship – thank you, from the bottom of our hearts.
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🎉 Celebrating 400 Days of CDAs! 🎉
Just over 400 days ago, we showcased the very first CDA® candidates who earned their credentials with the support of a CDA Navigator. 🌟 It’s been an incredible journey watching these dedicated professionals achieve their goals.
Every CDA represents not just a certification, but a commitment to quality early childhood education, and a brighter future for the children and families we serve. These candidates have all made and are still making a difference!
Thank you to everyone who supports this journey for our candidates. Here’s to many more milestones!
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HEADS UP!🙂↕️
We are officially in the process of moving! We are relocating to a new office in West Des Moines at the following address:
4400 Westown Parkway, Suite 360
West Des Moines, IA 50266
We anticipate being all moved in and ready to resume normal in-office operations by the end of next week! Until then, we appreciate your patience as our phone system and mail is transferred to the new location.
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Still unsure of whether or not you’d like to attend our Fall Institute? Take a look at these quotes from real Institute attendees from last year!
Registration closes in just over two weeks, so be sure to get your ticket soon to join in on the fun!
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Registration for our PRE-Institute sessions on Thursday, October 3rd ends next week (9/12)! We have THREE fantastic options to choose from, and you can read more about their descriptions on our website: iowaaeyc.org/events/fall-institute/pre-institute/Looking to complete a ServSafe® training to earn or maintain an IQ4K rating? Look no further!
We are excited to offer a ServSafe® training as one of our three Pre-Institute options this year! Whether you are a food service manager or an employee, using current best practices in safe food handling is essential to keep your program in compliance and protect the health of both children and staff. You’ll have the opportunity to take an exam to be certified as a Food Protection Manager.
ServSafe blends the latest FDA Food Code and food safety research. Participants learn current best practices related to safe food handling and cleaning/sanitizing and other food safety essentials. ServSafe certificates are valid for five years.
✨For more information and registration instructions, visit our website at: iowaaeyc.org/events/fall-institute/pre-institute/
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🙌They’ve done it again!
Congratulations to the following amazing candidates for earning their CDA credential: Courtney, Jodi, and Parker. You all have shown so much commitment and hard work to get to this point, and we’re cheering you on as you continue in the early childhood field!
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Way to go! Greater Connections Childhood Development Center
We’ve made some drastic changes to the WAGE$ scale over the years as we’ve received more funding and gone statewide! Take a look at the scale’s evolution👀
In order:
1. 2014-2021
2. 2021-2022
3. 2022-2024
4. 2024-?
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No group works harder on ensuring that the needle on compensation is moving in the right direction, and that front-line staff are being paid a living wage. Thank you for your tireless commitment to changing the landscape for front-line workers and giving them more reasons to go back to school and pick up a few credits while simultaneously providing a way for them to graduate with no student loan debt when it's all said and done. TEACH and WAGE$ has come a long way, but only with your passion and commitment as the propeller. 🤍
Jordan Kroneman
Alisa Ann Hirschlers
Did you miss out on the early bird discount? The good news is that it’s not too late to get a discount! You could still save up to $100 by becoming a member with Iowa AEYC!
The simplest way to become a member is to register for the Institute. That’s right, you only need to fill out one form to receive the discount and attain membership. Follow the directions on this post to receive your discount today!
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Our office will be closed today, Sept. 2, in observance of Labor Day. We will be open again tomorrow at 8 a.m.
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