WILL Education will honor early childhood educators and volunteers from central Illinois at the inaugural Early Childhood Champions Dinner on May 23 at the CityView Banquet and Meeting Center in downtown Champaign.
"Brain research has shown the foundation for lifelong learning is created during those precious years from birth through age eight. Professionals in early childhood play a crucial role and have a huge responsibility in the development of our children,” said Kimberlie Kranich, director of engagement and educational outreach at Illinois Public Media. “We want to honor those professionals, recognize their volunteers, and raise awareness of the need for more funding to hire and retain early childhood educators.”
The dinner is free to practitioners in the field of early childhood education and will include live music by a group of youth and adults from the Banks, Bridgewater Lewis Fine Arts Academy. The event will also feature Bethany Patten, workforce development policy director at the Illinois Governor’s Office of Early Childhood Development, who will deliver the keynote address.
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