The Marshall University Early Education STEAM Center (MUEE STEAM Center) has earned accreditation from the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC)—the world’s largest organization working on behalf of young children.
NAEYC accreditation is a rigorous and transformative quality-improvement system that uses a set of 10 research-based standards to collaborate with early education programs to recognize and drive quality-improvement in high-quality early learning environments. “We strive to provide hands-on, engaging learning experiences that focus on best practices in early childhood education. We’re proud to achieve this recognition from NAEYC,” said Kelcie Blankenship, early learning coordinator at the center. The MUEE STEAM Center is a program of the College of Education and Professional Development at Marshall University and is managed by the June Harless Center.
To earn NAEYC accreditation, the center went through an extensive self-study and quality-improvement process, followed by an on-site visit by NAEYC assessors to verify and ensure that the program met each of the ten program standards, as well as hundreds of corresponding individual criteria. NAEYC-accredited programs are always prepared for unannounced quality-assurance visits during their accreditation term, which lasts for five years.
In the 30 years since NAEYC accreditation was established, it has become a widely recognized sign of high-quality early childhood education. More than 6,000 programs are currently accredited by NAEYC—less than 10% of all childcare centers, preschools and kindergartens nationally achieve this recognition.
“NAEYC-accredited programs have committed to a process that takes time, energy, and dedication to complete,” said Alissa Mwenelupembe, senior director of early learning program accreditation for the association. “[The] MUEE STEAM Center has demonstrated their commitment to young children and their families.”
For more information about NAEYC accreditation, visit the NAEYC website.