ERIC Number: EJ999007
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2012
Pages: 4
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1946-0406
EISSN: N/A
Developing a Village: The Campagna Center Head Start [middle dot] Alexandria, Virginia
Dropkin, Emmalie
Exchange: The Early Childhood Leaders' Magazine Since 1978, n204 p44-47 Mar-Apr 2012
It is the responsibility of every early childhood program director to support the development of staff, to ensure that teachers and caregivers have the skills and understanding they need to provide the highest quality of services to children. For Head Start directors, this same responsibility is intensified by federal mandates and a mission statement that goes beyond the needs of the child to encompass the development of entire families. Across the country, more than 1,800 Head Start and Early Head Start grantees have spent the past 46 years evolving local practices for encouraging the professional advancement of teachers, staff, volunteers, and parents based on the needs and resources of their communities. In Alexandria, Virginia, the Campagna Center is one such example of innovation and success. The Campagna Center is a non-profit organization that has been serving Alexandria since 1945. In the 1960s, during the early years of Head Start, Campagna became one of the first grantees. Today it runs Alexandria Head Start, a NAEYC accredited program serving 270 preschool students, and Early Head Start, which serves an additional 60 infants and toddlers in center-based, family child care, and home-based settings. From partnership with local stakeholders willing to invest in teacher quality, to collaboration with the public school system, to churches and other groups willing to offer space and support for socialization sessions, the Campagna Center's achievements arise out of an extensive network within the community. The relationships they've built grow in large part because it is so clear how the Campagna Center gives back to that community. Not only do four year olds leave Alexandria Head Start ready for school and for life, but high school students, parents, and teachers are encouraged to develop their careers and their futures. In describing the breadth and quality of services the Campagna Center offers to students, Joy Trejo, Senior Director of Early Childhood Programs and Family Services for the Campagna Center, talks about how the many people involved make up "the village" that opens a window of opportunity for Head Start children. The Campagna Center's power is that it doesn't just depend on the village, it develops that, too.
Descriptors: Teacher Effectiveness, Caregivers, Early Childhood Education, Disadvantaged Youth, Educational Administration, Professional Development, Teacher Competencies, Preschool Teachers, Child Care Centers, Early Intervention, School Readiness, School Community Relationship, Labor Force Development, Parent Education
Exchange Press, Inc. P.O. Box 3249, Redmond, WA 98073-3249. Tel: 800-221-2864; Fax: 425-867-5217; e-mail: info@ChildCareExchange.com; Web site: http://www.childcareexchange.com
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: Early Childhood Education; Preschool Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Virginia
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A