Each year, the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) organizes a celebration focused on early childhood education, children, families, and teachers. They have named the event the Week of the Young ChildTM (WOYC). The goal of the event is to raise awareness of the importance of high quality early learning experiences and garner support from stakeholders, both within and outside of the early learning community.
It is a time to share the valuable short and long term contributions that early learning provides to our society and economy. While the event is organized and sponsored by NAEYC, it is implemented in individual communities in ways that reflect the unique nature of the programs and communities that participate.
Mark your calendar; this year’s WOYC event will be held April 16-20.
NAEYC has created suggested themes for each day of the event:
- April 16 – Music Monday
- April 17 – Tasty Tuesday
- April 18 – Work Together Wednesday
- April 19 – Artsy Thursday
- April 20 – Family Friday
More information and suggested activities related to these themes can be found here and here. Many of the resources can be shared with parents, members of the community, or local and state government officials. It’s important to start planning early, especially if you plan to invite government officials to participate in your event. You want to get on their calendars as early as possible.
The suggested themes are just that, suggestions – you can plan different activities that highlight the important work that you are doing in your program. Check out the links to the different age groups for ideas that might be appropriate for the children in your program.
