For more information, contact:
Kristina Gawrgy
202-350-8857
kgawrgy@naeyc.org
For Immediate Release:
December 21, 2005
Educators Send Six Tons of Books to Early Childhood Programs Affected by Hurricanes
(Washington, D.C.)– 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:
| Berry Best Preschool Program | Becky Baileys Loving Guidance |
| Claytronics | MoonJar |
| Delta Education | Briggs Textile |
| The Learning Connection | Pearson Scott Foresman |
| Harcourt School Publishing | Thomson Delmar Learning |
| Kane Miller Book Publishers | US Borne Books |
| Nationall Council of Teachers of Mathematics | Goodheart Wilcox |
| Lerner Classroom | Bayer Consumer Care |
| Harcourt Achieve | Learning Materials Workshop |
| School Specialty Publishing | Ideals Publications |
| Pearl Juvenile Products | National Geographic |
| Nursery Maid | Community Playthings |
| Wikki Stix | Curriculum Associates |
| Ellison | Free Spirit Publishing |
| Teachers College Press | Redleaf Press |
| H. Wilson Co. | Proctor and Gamble |
| Lakeshore Learning Materials |
Founded in 1926, the National Association for the Education of Young Children has nearly 90,000 members worldwide. The association is the largest and most influential advocate for early care and education in the
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Founded in 1926, the National Association for the Education of Young Children is the largest and most influential advocate for high-quality early care and education in the United States.
