Educators Send Six Tons of Books to Early Childhood Programs Affected by Hurricanes

For more information, contact
Alan Simpson at NAEYC
202-328-2605 or asimpson@naeyc.org

WASHINGTON, December 21, 2005 – Early childhood educators and organizations that gathered in Washington, DC for the recent National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) Annual Conference collected more than 12,000 pounds of children’s books and materials to donate to child care centers, preschools and other early childhood programs affected by the recent hurricane season.

Approximately 25,000 people attended the NAEYC Annual Conference – the world’s largest early childhood education conference – and many participants brought books to donate to programs in the Gulf Coast region. Many of the commercial exhibitors at the conference also donated books, toys or other classroom resources. The Louisiana Association for the Education of Young Children and other Gulf Coast area organizations will distribute the books and material to early childhood programs affected by the recent hurricanes.

“After the devastating impact of the recent hurricanes and flooding, many NAEYC members looked for ways to help early childhood programs in the Gulf Coast region,” said Mark Ginsberg, Ph.D., NAEYC Executive Director. “This book donation is just one example of early childhood educators coming together to support young children and early childhood programs in a time of need.”

The NAEYC Annual Conference, which was held December 7-10 in the Washington Convention Center, also featured a number of presentations about helping young children and families respond to catastrophic events, and a special presentation by early education leaders from the Gulf Coast on lessons learned from Hurricane Katrina.

NAEYC Annual Conference exhibitors that donated books and materials include:

The National Association for the Education of Young Children is the largest and most influential organization of early childhood educators and others dedicated to improving the quality of programs for children from birth through age eight. Founded in 1926, the organization now has nearly 100,000 members, and a national network of over 300 local, state and regional affiliates. NAEYC and its affiliates work to improve professional practice and working conditions in early childhood education, and to build public support for high-quality early childhood programs.