MOYC

Month of the Young Child (MOYC)

HISTORY OF THE U.P. BEACON AWARD 

   In 2011, the Month of the Young Child committee oversaw a new MOYC project that would address what the UPAEYC Board of Directors saw as a need to build public awareness for early childhood education in Michigan's Upper Peninsula.  This award is now annually presented by the Upper Peninsula Association for the Education of Young Children (UPAEYC) in celebration of the National AEYC Week of the Young Child and Michigan AEYC's Month of the Young Child held each April.

   The U.P. Beacon Award honors individuals and groups through their dedicated contributions in many areas of early childhood education and care services.  With the theme of "Lighting the Way to Early Success," this award annually shines our Beacon spotlight on people who are recognized for the positive difference they make in the lives of young children in our U.P. communities, providing important supports during the early years to help our youngest citizens learn, grow, and build readiness for school and life.

   Each year we receive nominations from across the Upper Peninsula for outstanding candidates in each of the two categories of :

• Exemplary Early Childhood Professional and  
• Outstanding Partner in Early Education and Care.   

Please contact the Month of the Young Child chair, Kari Momcilovich, at kari.a.momcilovich@gmail.com if you have any questions.

2014 U.P. BEACON AWARD RECIPIENTS 

• The 2014 "Exemplary Early Childhood Professional" is awarded to a unique community team of four family child care providers in Ontonagon:  Annette Trail, Theresa Miller, Carmen Burrows, and Gina Rule.  Through their outstanding collaboration and group support, they collectively represent over sixty-five years of coordinated home-based service to the children and families of Ontonagon County.  

• The 2014 "Outstanding Partner in Early Education and Care" is awarded to Connie Martinsen who serves as instructor for Bay de Noc Community College Department of Early Childhood Care and Education, Escanaba.  Connie is recognized for her efforts to support early childhood programming for her community and prepare her students through valuable field experiences, involvement, and instruction.

UPAEYC

BEACON AWARD

HONOR ROLL

“Lighting the Way to Early Success”

  YEAR          EXEMPLARY EARLY CHILDHOOD PROFESSIONAL           OUTSTANDING PARTNER IN EARLY EDUCATION   

2011	Jackie Roach CCSS Preschool/Tahquamenon Area Schools, Newberry	Joy Strassor MARESA Coordinator for Early On, Marquette
2012	Jan Olson AMCAB EC Teacher, Marquette	Eastern UP ISD Early On Team EUPISD, Sault Ste. Marie
2013	Eva-Marie Hatfield Little Huskies Child Development Center, MTU	Jim Edwards Upper Peninsula Children’s Museum, Marquette
2014	Ontonagon Home Provider Team Annette Trail, Theresa Miller, Carmen Burrows, Gina Rule	Connie Martinsen Bay de Noc Community College, ECE instructor, Escanaba