HANDS club seeks to enrich early childhood education
By Charity Parker, November 2009
Community Editor
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Photo by Charity Parker
The women of the HANDS club strive to bring early childhood education to the forefront of people's minds and hearts. |
What is early childhood education? Why is it important? How can students help with early childhood education?
The Helping to Advocate for New Diverse Students Club is the first club at Paradise Valley Community College to help the progression of education from birth through the third grade or ECE. This is a critical education period for children, says HANDS club adviser and PVCC Early Education staff, Ana Trejo.
Early Childhood Education is not new to PVCC, but for years, ECE has not had any outside help to further it. HANDS seeks to align students with other ECE organizations not only to help them grow but to help gain new information and methods which can be applied to ECE at PVCC.
The idea for HANDS was a collaborative effort between Trejo and PVCC student Ana Vivelo. Vivelo approached Trejo to discuss the need for support and more resources for ECE. The two began the process during the summer months of 2009.
"In August, we got it right," says Trejo.
It wasn't until September that Student Leadership Council approved the club. At its first club meeting, HANDS had 15 people. The club hopes to double that number in the coming months.
The HANDS Club focuses its attention on creating strong bonds with ECE organizations all over the Valley in hopes of increasing its resources and of attracting speakers to educate students. The club plans to form committees that will help to increase ECE's presence. The committees will do the following:
- Teach students the ropes and give them tools to succeed;
- Start a scholarship fund for ECE students;
- Fund professional conferences to help students obtain valuable information.
Vivelo believes that as a group HANDS will succeed because of the collaborative effort.
"We are trying our best to bring early childhood education into the forefront of education and into the minds and hearts of society," says Trejo.
Future plans for HANDS include a trip to Families and Children Experiencing Success known as FACES, an ECE organization, to bring the organization necessary supplies as a show of compassion and solidarity in the fight for ECE exposure. On Nov. 14, the club will co-sponsor the Festival of Tales at PVCC.
"As a group we will succeed," says Vivelo.
For more information on getting involved with the HANDS club, please contact Trejo at ana.trejo@pvmail.maricopa.edu or 602-787-6790.
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