On Wednesday December 2, the Early Childhood Education and Education (ECE/EDU) department was invited to The President’s Council to discuss the PIF (President’s Innovation Fund) that was awarded to the program last spring to start up the Educator Preparation Institute (EPIcenter). The ECE/EDU Program representatives were Coordinator, Kathryn Williams Browne, and Dr. Sarita Santos, along with the entire student teaching course (ECE 366). Professor Williams Browne and Dr. Santos presented a slide show of the EPIcenter beginnings up until its grand opening on November 17, while the students each spoke about their goals and aspirations around working with children.
This PIF has allowed the ECE/EDU program to thrive and act as a supportive learning opportunity during a time when teachers in both Elementary Education and Preschool programs are in an extreme shortage of qualified personnel.
Article by Kristina Brower | Photo by Kate Williams Browne
