|
ICS Celebrates Founders and
Launches Early Educators Fellowship
| |
ICS Founders and Board Members attend the ICS Founders Luncheon: ICS Senior Fellow Linda Brees, Founder and Board Member Ann Robinson, Board Secretary JoKeitha Seabrook, Founder and Board Member Emeritus Merl Code, Founder and Board Chair Emerita Susan Shi, (NAME), and Founder and Board Treasurer Tami McKnew. (CONFIRM THESE ARE CORRECT) | 2024 ICS Merl Code Early Educator Fellows: Steph Dean, Candice George, Jacob Mathis, CaNihja Simon. Fellows are joined by Founder and Board member Emeritus Merl Code, ICS Chief Equity Officer Mary Garvey, and CaNihja's daughter. (NAME OF CHILD?) | |
|
On September 19, ICS hosted a Founders Luncheon to share exciting updates, celebrate our distinguished founders, and honor the contributions of The Honorable Merl F. Code with the launch of The ICS Merl Code Early Educators Fellowship. Over 150 guests joined us in Greenville, SC to celebrate this event.
This event also included a "passing the gavel" ceremony to honor the transition from our immediate past Board Chair Gary Glickman, to our new Board Chair Calvin Calhoun III.
| |
(Link will be active when blog post is created.) | |
|
Meet the 2024 ICS Merl Code
Early Educators Fellows!
| |
ISC welcomes four early childhood professionals into the inaugural cohort of Code Fellows. | |
|
In September, ICS launched the inaugural cohort of ICS Merl Code Early Educators Fellows to honor ICS Board Member Merl F. Code. This Fellowship highlights the importance of building and maintaining a robust pipeline of early career educators dedicated to the field of early childhood and improving child and family outcomes. We are excited about the impact on an area both central to the ICS mission and near and dear to Merl’s heart.
Merl F. Code is Of Counsel in the Greenville law firm of Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak, & Stewart, P.C. He is a municipal court judge in Greenville and the owner/president of several Upstate businesses. Merl’s parents, both educators, greatly influenced him. In addition to ICS and Furman University, Merl serves on several local boards. He proudly co-leads the Greenville Racial Equity and Economic Mobility Commission.
Each year, ICS will honor early childhood educators in South Carolina identified as up and coming leaders, having entered the profession within the last ten years. Fellows will receive mentorship, develop and communicate a research plan supporting young children, access a Fellowship alumni network, and receive a monetary award. The three focus tracks of the Fellowship are: Equity / Advocacy / Practice.
Read our blog post to learn more about the Fellowship, and our inaugural cohort of Fellows!
The 2024 ICS Merl Code Early Educators Fellows:
Steph N. Dean, PhD,
Assistant Professor of Early Childhood & Elementary Science Education
Candice George,
Early Head Start Teacher
Jacob L. Mathis,
Physical Education Teacher
CaNihja Simon,
Childcare Specialist, SC First Steps, Family Voice Council Member
| |
(Button link will be active once "meet the fellows" blog post is completed) | |
Bryan Boroughs, ICS Chief Operating Officer and General Counsel, Joining Riley Institute at Furman University | |
|
ICS announces that Bryan Boroughs, our longtime COO and General Counsel, will be transitioning to the role of Executive Director of the Riley Institute at Furman University this fall. Furman University is a nationally recognized institution, as well as Bryan’s alma mater. The Riley Institute, named in honor of former US Secretary of Education Richard Riley, focuses on empowering leaders to advance equity and drive social and economic progress, across South Carolina and beyond. As Executive Director, Bryan will work to maximize the impact of the Riley Institute, as well as having a unique opportunity to give back to his alma mater. See Furman University's announcement here.
Bryan has faithfully served ICS for over a decade, where he has had a profound impact on the growth of our organization and helped improve the lives of hundreds of thousands of young children and families across the nation. His leadership, vision, and expertise have helped spearhead our work in the areas of policy research, advocacy support, and strategic impact financing. Jamie Moon, ICS CEO, notes “Bryan is one of the most talented, principled, and effective individuals I have ever been privileged to work with. ICS’s impact and growth over the last decade is due, in large measure, to Bryan’s extraordinary work. I know I speak for everyone associated with ICS when I say that, while we are saddened to see our friend and colleague leave his position, we look forward to continuing our work together and partnering even more closely with the Riley Institute moving forward.”
Bryan will also stay connected with ICS as a Senior Fellow.
Please join us in recognizing Bryan for his countless contributions to ICS and to young children everywhere, and in wishing him an impactful new start at the Riley Institute!
Jamie Moon,
ICS CEO
| |
ICS Advocacy Team Presents in St. Louis | |
|
ICS Advocacy team members Deborah DePaoli and Citlaly Rojo recently traveled to St. Louis, Missouri to present on the successes of the South Carolina Early Childhood Common Agenda (ECCA) and how to replicate this advocacy initiative in St. Louis and other communities.
The ECCA is a coalition led by the Institute for Child Success, Save the Children Action Network, and the South Carolina Infant Mental Health Association. Together this group leads a coalition of dozens of community advocates dedicated to improving outcomes for young children (age 0-5) and their families. This group focuses on determining core priorities and makes recommendations for implementing them. The ECCA is designed to present a united front on matters related to early childhood health, education, and family well-being to policymakers in South Carolina. In past years, dozens of organizations have signed on to the ECCA, resulting in significant wins at the South Caroline State House—including 4K expansion, Earned Income Tax Credit, and more.
| |
|
ICS works on behalf of children from prenatal to age 8.
You can support our work by helping to
fund our research and advocacy.
| | | | |
