The College of Education and Health Professions recently bestowed the inaugural Service to Arkansas Award on one of its outreach programs, which has delivered professional development to early childhood educators in the state for over 30 years.

Dean Kate Mamiseishvili created the award as part of the WE CARE strategic plan to recognize "a faculty or staff member, team, or entire unit that has demonstrated extraordinary care for Arkansas and Arkansans through their research, outreach, and/or educational activities."

Mamiseishvili presented the new award to the Early Care and Education Projects team, led by Director Deniece Honeycutt, at the college's end-of-year meeting on May 3.

"The Service to Arkansas Award shines a light on the work that has made a sustained and meaningful impact and improved the lives of people and communities in Arkansas," Mamiseishvili said. "The ECEP team is service-minded and goes above and beyond to care for the educators, families and children of Arkansas."

The Early Care and Education Projects team members Jenny Dura, Savanna Gragg and Annie Zay said they are honored to be the first recipients of the award. "Our dedicated leaders have paved the way for providing quality professional development for early educators," they noted. "It is a testament to the dedication and hard work of everyone at ECEP, and we are grateful for the opportunity to make a meaningful impact in our state."

The team educates, connects, and equips early childhood professionals, which ultimately helps children across the state thrive emotionally, physically, and academically. Every year, the Early Care and Education Projects team reaches early educators working in every county in Arkansas and, over time, has collaborated with every two-year college in the state and some four-year colleges, education service cooperatives and adult education centers. Some two-year colleges embed ECEP courses in their college classes.

The program launched a shared services website in 2021. Arkansas Resource Connections serves as a centralized resource hub for professionals who provide early care and education for young children.

The Early Care and Education Projects team also excels in research that generates knowledge about early child care in Arkansas and promotes innovative solutions for the state.

The program was recently awarded a three-year, $6 million grant to expand and enhance its current work and explore new technologies and programs designed to support its vision of improving the quality of care for children in the state.