Special to the
Independent
Adams School lead teacher Denise Hanlon, shown inside her office, will take part in the Early Education Fellowship Initiative (EEFI) that gets underway later this month.
The head of Everett’s pre-school program will attend a statewide forum sponsored by Community Advocates for Young Learners (CAYL) designed to help teachers expand their core knowledge in early childhood education.
Denise Hanlon, the lead teacher at the Adams School, which provides free pre-school education to children throughout the district, will join more than 110 educators from around the state as a member of the Early Education Fellowship Initiative (EEFI).
The participants come from a group that includes elementary school principals, community-based providers and early childhood educators. Hanlon brings to the Fellowship program more than 30 years of experience, as well as a master’s degree in Urban Multicultural Education and School Administration.
“The EEFI program will help me enhance the strong early-education program we have established in Everett,” Hanlon said. “We are fortunate to have a School Committee and an administration that provides pre-school education to every 3- and 4-year-old in the district. Superintendent [Frederick] Foresteire is a champion of pre-school education and the positive learning foundation it establishes in young students.”
To complete the program, EEFI fellows must attend a series of seminars and forums, the first of which is slated for March 26 in Leominster. The featured speaker will be Dr. Lilian Katz, who has authored more than 150 articles, chapters and books on early childhood education, teacher education, child development and parenting. Dr. Katz’s presentation will focus on “children’s investigations and the teacher’s role in social development.” In addition, participants will have the chance to interact and work with their colleagues.
“This fellowship will allow me to continue to my pursuit of being a lifetime learner,” Hanlon said. “I believe the EEFI curriculum will help me make Everett’s pre-school program a model for other communities.”