Educators of Young Children to be Celebrated at Ivy Tech

April 6, 2005      

BLOOMINGTON, IN – As part of the celebration of the month of the young child, the South Central Chapter of the Indiana Association of the Education of Young Children (IAEYC) will hold its annual recognition dinner on Friday, April 8, 2004 at 6:30 p.m. at the Bloomington campus of Ivy Tech Community College. Local early childhood educators from Monroe and surrounding counties will be recognized. In addition, Ivy Tech Community College-Bloomington Early Childhood Education students who have successfully completed their Child Development Associate (CDA) assessment and have received their CDA certificates will be recognized and pinned. Anyone who has received a CDA certificate in past years is invited to be pinned during the program.

A highlight of the evening will be the presentation of the Dorothy Johnson Early Childhood Teacher Recognition award. The Dorothy Johnson Award is presented annually by the local chapter of IAEYC in memory of Dorothy Johnson who demonstrated dedication to high quality standards in the classroom, professionalism in the early childhood field, community advocacy efforts and continual professional growth. This award is bestowed to those who follow in her footsteps.

Also to be honored at this event is the late Roberta McCloskey, who dedicated her life to early childhood education. McCloskey was one of the founding teachers at the Bloomington Developmental Learning Center (BDLC), later becoming an assistant director and curriculum coordinator. She also served on the BDLC's Board of Directors. She worked at Head Start for 10 years, taught Early Child Education classes at Ivy Tech and Indiana State University, was a master teacher at the Monroe County United Ministries, and helped form Neighborhoods, Inc. to help children after school. Beyond her undergraduate degree, a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Indiana University in 1967, McCloskey received a Masters Degree in Elementary Education with a concentration in Early Childhood from Indiana State University in 1993 and a Childhood Development Associate Certificate from Ivy Tech.

Those attending the annual recognition dinner include workers in childcare homes, preschool settings and childcare ministries, childcare centers, private school settings, kindergarten and elementary classrooms, special care settings, therapy settings, before and after school settings, recreational settings, resource and referral agencies, lab schools or high school training settings, family resource centers, teacher trainers, health care professionals, licensing agencies, foster care, counseling services, administrative positions, parents, and all who cherish the early childhood years.

2004-2005 South Central Chapter Officers are Marjie Risen (Past President), Lia Ozolins (President), Amy Blouin (Vice-President), and Linda Zager (Treasurer). The late Roberta McCloskey was the organization’s secretary.

The recognition ceremony is open to the public. Those interested in attending this event should call Marjie Risen at (812) 330-6109 or e-mail, mrisen@ivytech.edu. The Ivy Tech Community College-Bloomington campus is located on the corner of State Road 48 West and Daniels Way on the west side of Bloomington.