Early Learning Organization to Host Advocacy Breakfast

The Lehigh and Northampton Chapter of the Pennsylvania Association for
the Education of Young Children is hosting an advocacy breakfast on
Thursday, October 4, from 8 am – 11:00 am, at Community Services
for Children’s Training Institute, 1520 Hanover Ave., Allentown.

The event will give early childhood professionals, community and business
leaders, and families an opportunity to meet their legislators and
hear a moderated panel discussion about the impact of expulsion
and suspension and the benefits of inclusive practices in the early
care and education field. This panel will include, among
others, a pediatrician, school counselor, and a supervisor of special
education services.

The Center for American Progress has found that every year 50,000
preschoolers are suspended from public preschool programs. This
does not consider all of the preschool students that are suspended
from private programs. At this event, community members will have the
chance to talk with parents, teachers, community leaders, and other
education advocates who will share their experiences about
the importance of high quality early care and education in helping to
prevent the preschool-to-prison pipeline.

Jodi Askins, Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Association for the
Education of Young Children (PennAEYC), will moderate the panel. Her
expertise includes non-profit management, fundraising, community
organizing and advocacy. Through her leadership, PennAEYC has been
recognized as achieving Tier Two Standards for Excellence in
Non-Profit Management through the Pennsylvania Association for
Non-profit Organizations. Recognized as a state leader in
advocacy, Jodi is currently the Co-Chair of the Early Learning PA
Campaign and a principal partner in the Pre-K for PA Campaign.

Young children and their families depend on high-quality education and
care, which help children get a great start and bring lasting
benefits to the Lehigh Valley. The Lehigh and Northampton Chapter
of the Pennsylvania Association for the Education of Young Children’s
mission is to provide an organization where early childhood
professionals can come together to share and explore ways to meet the
needs of children that they work with in early care and educational
settings. Members in this organization work together to improve
professional practice and working conditions in early childhood
education, and to help build public support for high-quality early
childhood education programs.

This event is free of charge but space is limited. –Please contact
Terry Thomas at terryathomas@rcn.com
to register.