News

April 7, 2022

2022 Pennsylvania’s Equity in Early Childhood Education Champion Award Winners

The Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) has announced winners of the 2022 Pennsylvania Equity in Early Childhood Education Champion Awards.

The award, provided from the Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL), brings awareness to and highlight the equity work being done within Pennsylvania’s early childhood education and afterschool settings, and by child care, evidence-based home visiting and early intervention professionals, as it aligns with the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) Equity and Inclusion Toolkit, and with the position statement of the National Association for the Education for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), Advancing Equity in Early Childhood Education Position Statement.

Equity in Early Childhood Education Champion Award Winners

Several Early Childhood Education Champions are from Western Pennsylvania:

Gold Recipients

  • Boys & Girls Clubs of Western Pennsylvania in Pittsburgh
  • La Scuola d’Italia Galileo Galilei in Pittsburgh

Silver Recipients

  • HOST (Heritage Out of School Time) in North Braddock
  • Heritage 4 Kids Early Learning Center in Braddock

Bronze Recipients

  • Rutledge Institute for Early Childhood Education in California
  • The Village of FPC (California, PA) in California
  • Jessie Bucci in New Castle

Honorable Mentions

  • Melissa Judy in Connellsville
  • Grand Beginnings Children’s Center, Inc. in Indiana
  • The Growing Garden Child Care Center, LLC in Tarentum

A full list of winners and information about Equity and Early Childhood Education in Pennsylvania is available on the PA Keys website.