CELEBRATING OUR YOUNGEST LEARNERS
NCAEYC and North Carolina Celebrate National Week of the Young Child™
NCAEYC, the North Carolina Association for the Education of Young Children, asks all citizens of our great state to come together for children during the Week of the Young Child™ April 24-28, 2017. NCaeyc is honoring young children and those who make a difference in children’s lives as the national Week of the Young Child™ is celebrated across the country.
“All young children need and deserve high-quality early learning experiences that will prepare them for life, and North Carolina has a great opportunity to do our part to help young children,” said Suzanne Hughes, President of the NCAEYC Board of Directors. “Week of the Young Child™ is a time for North Carolina to recognize that Early Years are Learning Years for all young children.”
Week of the Young Child™ events will be held in communities across our state and country by education leaders committed to ensuring children, families and educators have resources, supports and policies that enable them to thrive. Week of the Young Child™, sponsored by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), is an opportunity for early childhood programs to hold activities to bring awareness to the needs of young children and the early childhood professionals who care for and educate them. As the state affiliate of NAEYC, NCAEYC is proud to honor and support early educators working with or on behalf of young children birth through age eight.
As a special part of this year’s Week of the Young Child™ celebration, NCAEYC encourages the general public, families and children to visit the “Wonder of Learning” an interactive, hands-on exhibit at Northgate Mall in Durham documenting the educational approaches of the infant-toddler and preschool centers of Reggio Emilia, Italy. This approach has been hailed as one of the best in the world and this exhibit inspires understanding of and commitment to high-quality early learning experiences for all young children. A special “Materials Day” will be held on April 22nd. Learn more.
On April 25th, NCAEYC will co-host an advocacy event at North Carolina’s State Capitol to connect early educators and legislators for discussion and sharing of resources to help inform policymakers about important issues in early care and education. This special event is in collaboration with the North Carolina Early Education Coalition, NC Child, the North Carolina Partnership for Children, and Mom’s Rising. Learn more.
Young children and their families need access to high-quality, affordable education and care, which helps children get a great start and bring lasting benefits to North Carolina. Week of the Young Child™ is a time to recognize the importance of early learning and early literacy, and to celebrate the teachers and policies that bring effective early childhood education to young children.