Back in 2023, Rhonda Mercie, the program administrator at Ollie’s Imagination Station in Laurel, enrolled her program in DIEEC’s Let’s Go Outside! (LGO) initiative. The LGO professional learning experience immersed her staff in learning about the benefits of outdoor classrooms. The initiative also included a grant-funded opportunity for programs to create outdoor classrooms of their … Read more
The Art of the Reset: Creating a Safe Space for Managing Big Feelings Where Preschool Meets Art Situated in the heart of Wilmington’s Creative District and housed within the Christina Cultural Arts Center (CCAC), the Early Childhood Education Arts Academy (ECEAA) program delivers an arts-enriched preschool program grounded in Head Start guidelines. The program currently … Read more
The Power of One Block in Claymont In the neighborhood of Claymont, Delaware, Rose Currington and Carmen Wright’s unique partnership is an example of the “it takes a village” approach to raising children—and running a successful business. Rose and Carmen are family child care (FCC) educators who live just one block apart; while they operate … Read more
Journey to an Early Childhood Career Before starting Lil Rascals Learning Center, her small early childhood education center in Millsboro, Jamie Bowden wore many different hats. After working at the casino in Harrington and owning a cleaning business, she decided to return to school. She earned an associate’s degree in education and worked toward a … Read more
Family Child Care, Lifelong Community Twenty years ago, when Viviana Oyola left her job at Citibank and opened her family child care (FCC) program, she had one main goal: to raise her youngest daughter and be present for the milestones and moments of her childhood. What she created was even broader and more enduring: a … Read more
Like many other family child care educators, Kena Trader got her start in the field when she experienced difficulty finding high-quality care for her own children. She left her job in a medical facility and began providing child care through Delaware’s Relative Care program. Now, 10 years later, her “Bizzy Bee’s Child Care” program in … Read more
When Diana Mercado applied to DIEEC’s Let’s GROW Outside! initiative on behalf of Pirulo’s Child Care and Learning Center, she saw a great educational opportunity for the children. However, she also had another motivation: self-care. Diana is the early childhood administrator at Pirulo’s, a bilingual program that serves children from ages 1 to 5. Founded … Read more
The Delaware Institute for Excellence in Early Childhood (DIEEC) is delighted to honor Madison Hogsten from Indian River Early Learning Center as the winner of the inaugural 2025 Excellence in Early Childhood Awards in the Early Career Educator category. This award recognizes educators who, early in their careers, are already making a significant impact and demonstrating immense promise for … Read more
The Delaware Institute for Excellence in Early Childhood (DIEEC) is pleased to recognize Shakira Waples, of Next Generation Childcare, as the runner-up for the 2025 Excellence in Early Childhood Awards in the family child care educator category. With 15 years of experience in the early childhood field, Shakira’s path to becoming a family child care educator allowed her … Read more
The Delaware Institute for Excellence in Early Childhood (DIEEC) is thrilled to recognize Stacy Morgan, of Little Bit of Sunshine Learning Academy, as the winner of the 2025 Excellence in Early Childhood Awards in the family child care educator category. Stacy’s journey into early childhood education began with a background in babysitting and church nursery care. She then … Read more
DELAWARE INSTITUTE FOR
EXCELLENCE IN EARLY CHILDHOOD
