Working for just,
equitable, and quality
early childhood education and
care for every young child.
January 2025 Updates
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Defending the Early Years, Inc. is a
501(c)(3) charitable organization.
Donations are tax deductible.
Our Tax ID: 82-4308558
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Follow DEY for the latest updates
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DEY Reflective Practitioner Series New Course and Webinar | |
We are thrilled to share our upcoming course for the DEY Reflective Practitioner Series- Racial Identity in the Early Years: A Framework for Educators, Caregivers, and Parents. If you become a $25 monthly subscriber, you get access to all the courses in the Reflective Practitioner Series. Check out our upcoming programming and click on the link below to subscribe today. | |
Want to learn more about the framework? Join our free introductory webinar, co-hosted with Black Lives Matter at School, on Tuesday, February 4th, at 7 p.m., as part of the 2025 Week of Action. Click on the link to register today. | |
We are excited to announce the return of the DEY Podcast with Kisha Reid. We launched the podcast in 2021, and it was an instant success. In February 2024, Kisha announced that she was taking a hiatus as she opened her new outdoor learning program. We could not wait to welcome her back, and we look forward to sharing Episode 26 very soon! In the meantime, check out Episode 13, Really Seeing Children with Deb Curtis! | |
National Advisor News
Check out what our DEY
National Adviors are up to!
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Ideas that Have Guided My Efforts to Protect Bears
| During this time, I sometimes thought about the existential philosophy of Albert Camus. In one essay, Camus wrote about Sisyphus, the mythical Greek hero who was condemned for eternity to push a boulder up a hill, only for the boulder to roll back down every time. Camus argued that even in a hopeless situation, what matters is our attitude toward it. We find dignity and meaning in fighting for our beliefs. | | | |
Love Our Children continues to push for change in NHCS suspension policy, data sharing
From Peter Rawitsch
| For nearly two years, an advocacy group, Love Our Children (LOC), has petitioned the New Hanover County school district to change the policies and procedures surrounding the suspension of students under eight years old. Officials with NHCS say implementing their requests is more complicated and nuanced than a mere policy change. | | | |
Honoring Childhood Follow Your Lead Virtual Summit 2025
From Samuel Broaden
| Join Honring Childhood for 12 sessions over 3 days, covering everything from classroom collaboration, outdoor education, building connections between educators and families, a healing session, and more! | | | |
DEY Banned Book Club Feature
A is for Activist
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DEY ED Denisha Jones kicks off our 2025 Banned Book Club with a feature on A is for Activist by Innosanto Nagara. This powerful ABC book celebrates environmental justice, activism, peace, and so much more! You can find all of our Banned Book Club features here! | |
Do you teach or work with pre-service teachers?
Are you looking for exciting extra credit opportunities? Consider having your students record Banned Book Club Features! For more information, email denishajones@deyorg!
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SAVE THE DATE: DEY 7th Annual Summer Institute | |
We are so grateful to everyone who donated and shared our Annual Appeal fundraiser. Thanks to you, we raised over $12,000, and we are close to achieving our goal of raising $25,000 to secure additional funding! There's still time to donate today! | |
It's Us!: Disabled & Neurodivergent Children At Play in Brookings, South Dakota, USA | Disabled & Neurodivergent Children At Play: Play offers a perfect opportunity for young children - and their adults! - to explore concepts related to disability. Disabled & Neurodivergent Children At Play! Play offers a perfect opportunity for young children - and their adults! - to explore concepts related to disability. | | | |
December 2024 Mini-Grant Recipients
- Ron Grady
- Elizabeth Seton Center
- Sol Felipe Miranda
Apply for a $500 DEY Mini-Grant by March 1.
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Check out our Advocacy Spotlight, a series dedicated to highlighting advocacy efforts around the country to advance early childhood education.
Visit our Advocacy Map to view more advocacy efforts. Do you know of early childhood advocacy happening in your community? Add it to our Advocacy Map!
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Board of Directors
Nancy Carlsson-Paige
Founder and Senior Advisor
Diane Levin
Founder and Senior Advisor
Blakely Bundy
Secretary
Geralyn Bywater
Treasurer
Executive Director
Denisha Jones
Project Coordinator
Zoe Kim
Founding National Advisory Board
Constance Kamii
Lilian Katz
Maurice Sykes
Sherry Cleary
Doris Pronin Fromberg
Deborah Meier
Edgar Klugman
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DEY National Advisors
Suzanne Axelsson*
Heather Bernt-Santy*
Samuel Broaden*
Takiema Bunche Smith*
Erika Christakis
Bill Crain
Rixa Evershed*
Dale Farran*
Carol Garboden-Murray*
Laleña Garcia*
Michelle Gunderson
Tom Hobson*
Nadia Jaboneta*
Susan Linn
Melinda Marshall*
Kisa Marx*
Peter Rawitsch*
Kisha Reid*
Rukia Rodgers*
Ruth Rodriguez-Fay
Kaliris Yimar Salas-Ramirez*
James St. Clair
Judith Van Hoorn
Dodah Yirusha*
* New Advisor
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Defending the Early Years, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.
Donations are tax deductible. Our Tax ID: 82-4308558
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Defending the Early Years
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Follow DEY for the latest updates.
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