About Us
Who we are:
We are PennAEYC, the Pennsylvania state affiliate of the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). We represent more than 5,300 individual members and 13 local affiliate chapters across the state. We are a 501(c)(3) guided by a Board of Directors.
What we do:
- build and participate in collaborations and connections across the state
- promote and practice advocacy for funding high quality children's programs and services
- represent members and early care and education providers on various committees & task forces
- publish online and print newsletters
- provide technical assistance, leadership support, and networking for our local affiliate chapters
Where we come from:
PennAEYC was officially formed on October 16, 1983. This
marked the culmination of many years of hard work and long hours in
both meetings and travel by a small group of dedicated people
representing their local affiliate group. Pennsylvania was one of the last large states to form a state affiliate. Many states started with only a state affiliate and after many years local groups came into being. In Pennsylvania, the opposite was true and it took a great deal of planning and devoted work to form the state affiliate. PennAEYC
represents all NAEYC members in Pennsylvania, including those in local
affiliate groups as well as those unaffiliated with any local affiliate.
PennAEYC Timeline
- 1983 — PennAEYC instrumental in assisting new local affiliate chapters to form.
- 1992 — PennAEYC coordinated a collaboration endeavor to represent
the Commonwealth in the first National Institute for Early Childhood
Professional Development.
- 1992 — PennAEYC first successful state
affiliate in the nation to petition the State Board of Education, Board
of Private Academic Schools to accept the
resolution to adopt National Academy of Early Childhood Programs
Accreditation in-lieu-of licensing.
- 1992 — Pennsylvania Child Care and Head Start Statewide Salary Survey completed.
- 1995 — PennAEYC files articles of incorporation with the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and approved as a non-profit corporation.
- 1995 — PennAEYC granted funds by the state for a training and mentoring program for teachers and directors leading to NAEYC Accreditation known as the PennAEYC On-Site Mentor Training Project.
- 2000 — Part-time Administrative Assistant hired.
- 2000-2003 — PennAEYC enagages in an on-going planning process to
strengthen the organization and the local affiliate chapters to meet the
needs of its members, agree on core priorities, and develop as a
high-performing, inclusive NAEYC state affiliate.
- 2008 — Harrisburg opens.
- 2009 — First Executive Director hired.
- 2010 — Full-time Administrative Assistant hired.
Past PennAEYC Presidents
- Linda Ehrlich, 2007-2008
- Liz Vaughan, 2005-2006
- Pat Miiller, 2004-2005
- Nancy Grausam, 2002-2003
- Nancy Sayre, 2000-2001
- Kent Chrisman
- Sandi Waite-Stupiansky
- Jane Allis
- Marsha Poster