On April 11, the Minnesota Association for Family and Early Education (MNAFEE) recognized St. Francis Area Schools Community Education’s Early Childhood program as the recipient of an Innovative Program Award. Additionally, Nancy Wallace, retired Early Childhood Family Education Program Supervisor from SFAS, was honored with the MNAFEE Lois Engstrom Leadership Award for 2024.
Collaboration to make a change
The Early ID Grant was chosen as a winner of the MNAFEE Innovative Programming Award for 2024. Under the leadership of St. Francis Area Schools staff members Jenny Dupre and Melissa Denning, and Centennial and Spring Lake Park school districts, and funding provided by the Anoka County Children and Family Council, the Early ID Grant provides new and innovative ways to reach eligible children for early childhood screening. The primary goal of the partnership is to increase the number of 3-year-olds screened while decreasing the number of children entering kindergarten unscreened and possibly unidentified as needing additional services.
The effort began in 2011 with the districts’ focus on screening children early, meaning before age 4, outreach to the communities, and educating families about early childhood screening. The three districts attend local events to find children of screening age, contact families who did not show up to a scheduled screening appointment two or more times, and follow up with families if a referral is made to ensure they see the referral through to its completed status. Since the districts all have 0-4 census under 1,800 children, they are using resources efficiently by pooling efforts when possible yet maintaining the unique efforts within their own district as appropriate.
Read more about the Early ID Grant and the Innovative Program award.
A life-long dedication to education
Nancy Wallace was the Instructional Program Supervisor of the St. Francis Area Schools Early Childhood program for 30 years. Under her leadership, the program grew from just two classrooms to a full building that now serves all the birth to five-year-old children in the district. She developed a relationship with Early Childhood Special Education educators and directors and began to integrate all children into all classrooms. Through innovative programs, collaboration and the relationships she developed, Wallace’s work benefited all young children and parents in the school district.
The Lois Engstrom Leadership Award is presented to an individual who has made dynamic contributions to advance the goals and principles of parent education, Early Childhood Family Education, and early childhood programming locally and throughout Minnesota.
Read more about Wallace’s impact and the Lois Engstrom Leadership Award.
In 2020, the MNAFEE Board of Directors announced the formation of annual awards to recognize the contributions made to the field of early childhood and parent education. There are two individual awards and a category of innovative program awards.