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June 17, 2008
FIRST LADY CECILE DEJONGH TRAVELS TO DENVER FOR NGA POLICY RETREAT HIGHLIGHTING EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION BEST PRACTICES First Lady Cecile deJongh, serving in her role as Chairperson of the Virgin Islands Children and Families Council, departed the Territory this week to attend a policy retreat in Denver, Colorado at the National Governor’s Association (NGA). The First Lady is traveling with Eleanor Hirsh, who is a consultant, trainer, and advocate on Territorial children and family issues, and Angeli Ferdschneider, Special Assistant to the Governor, to attend the NGA Center for Best Practices. The Virgin Islands delegation will join other state and territorial teams to attend workshops and discuss early childhood education. “This important two-day event offers a critical opportunity for states and territories at the gubernatorial level to learn more about early childhood education. This time period in a child’s life is perhaps one of the most important, and it is imperative that as a community we invest more time and energy into positively impacting the long term success of our children,” First Lady deJongh said. This year’s policy retreat allows participants to build relationships, discuss common issues and share best practices with peer leaders and national experts, as well as learn about cutting-edge developments in early childhood research and policy. The conference also focuses on identifying technical assistance needed for future work of the NGA Center and the Birth to Five Policy Alliance. “The workshops and discussions on comprehensive early childhood systems are value-added components of the overall discussion taking place at the local and national levels to further provide linkages between early learning, family support, health, mental health, and other developmental services for children and families. I am delighted to be participating in this NGA-sponsored policy retreat and look forward to bringing the perspectives shared to our own Virgin Islands Children and Families Council,” deJongh said. |
