PROFESSORS SELECTED FOR INSTITUTE

Two Iowa Lakes Community College professors have been chosen to receive advanced training in meeting the needs of special children and their families.

Marsha Swanson, Professor of Early Childhood Education and Child Care Program Instructor/Coordinator, and Jamie Simpson, Associate Professor of Early Childhood Education and Child Care Program Instructor, were selected to participate in the intensive institute offered through the Natural Allies project.  Based at the Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, Natural Allies is a project of national significance funded by the U.S. Department of Education.

The Natural Allies institute is designed to support teams of campus, community, family and state agency partners in preparing personnel to work with infants, toddlers, young children and families, including those with special needs, in diverse community settings.

Swanson and Simpson are two of only 15 team members selected by the state of Iowa.  They will participate in a five-day institute held in Flat Rock, North Carolina, Oct. 19-23.  Both women will return to Iowa to serve as resource personnel in improving state systems for preparing individuals to work with infants, toddlers, young children and families.  The state team will continue to work on the project for three years.

Their goal will be to better infuse exceptionality into the coursework and practicum to address the needs of young children and families with special needs.

Selection of state team members was based on professional expertise, knowledge about early childhood and early intervention, and their willingness to serve as a state personnel preparation resource.  Through their efforts, valuable information related to early intervention will be disseminated to others in this region.