FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, July 11, 2006
Contact: Dave Wellman, Director of Communications (304) 696-7153
 

Marshall’s 21^st Century Early Childhood Education Task Force
receives $300,000 from Benedum Foundation

HUNTINGTON, W. Va. – Marshall University has received $300,000 from the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation to benefit early childhood education throughout the State of West Virginia.

The Marshall University Early Education Center (MUEEC), as part of the 21^st Century Early Childhood Education (ECE) Task Force, will provide sustained professional development and assistance for preschool teachers in the state. Phase I begins this month with a summer institute in Huntington for preschool educators from Nicholas County, W.Va.

“This opportunity allows the Marshall Early Education Center to share its vision of 21^st Century early education during a year-long professional development experience for early educators statewide,” MUEEC Director Clayton Burch said.

The MUEEC Outreach Program includes a year-long plan for teachers and their support personnel to develop methods of inquiry and critical thinking in their classrooms. A strong emphasis on utilizing the unique assets of the Appalachian region, as well as a technology component and basic research-based foundations of early childhood education, also are included in the professional development model.

The 21^st Century ECE Task Force was formed with a brainstorming session in January 2006, which included individuals from Marshall’s College of Education and Human Services (COEHS), the West Virginia Department of Education, the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources, Marshall Community and Technical College, the West Virginia Careers in Education Project, the West Virginia Community and Technical College System, and Southern West Virginia Community and Technical College. The task force’s main goal is to ensure all early childhood education personnel are highly qualified to provide education and care to West Virginia’s young children.

The MUEEC Outreach Program is coordinated by Monica DellaMea, and the faculty advisor for the MUEEC is Dr. Mary Jo Graham.

“The impact of this training model will ultimately benefit preschoolers throughout the state, because these children will be provided more opportunities for critical thinking and the development of other 21^st Century skills,” DellaMea said.

“The professional development process helps teachers work with children in ways that develop early habits of inquiry, forming the foundation for critical thinking,” Graham said.

The 21^st Century ECE Task Force is chaired by Dr. Rosalyn Anstine Templeton, executive dean of the COEHS. The task force subcommittees are chaired by Dr. Carol Perry, Dr. Robert Angel, Dr. Laura Boswell and DellaMea.

“Funding from the Benedum Foundation will ensure that young children in West Virginia will have superior teachers and caregivers,” Templeton said.

The Benedum Foundation, established in 1944 in Pittsburgh, Pa., has been a longtime supporter of the COEHS and Marshall University. Its mission is to encourage human development in West Virginia and Southwestern Pennsylvania.

For more information, persons may contact Templeton at (304) 696-3131.

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