By Susan Lee
Office of the Chancellor for Community Colleges
The Children’s Center at Honolulu Community College received notification from the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) that it has again received accreditation from the National Academy of Early Childhood Programs.
"This prestigious recognition has been achieved by only seven percent of early childhood programs nationwide. Less than 75 programs in Hawai‘i have earned this accreditation," says Sherry Nolte, associate professor of early childhood education and human services.
NAEYC accreditation is a rigorous, voluntary process by which early childhood programs demonstrate that they meet national standards of excellence. Programs seeking accreditation undergo an intensive self-study, collecting information from parents, teachers, administrators and classroom observations. They receive an on-site visit conducted by an NAEYC validator. All information is then independently reviewed by a team of national experts who grant or defer accreditation.
The process considers all aspects of the program including health and safety, staffing, staff qualifications and physical environment. The greatest emphasis is on the children’s relationships with the staff and how the program helps each child grow and learn intellectually, physically, socially and emotionally.
Site coordinator Iris McGivern, an 11-year veteran at the Children’s Center, took the lead in organizing and coordinating the accreditation process. Other staff members who contribute daily to upholding the high standards at the Children’s Center include Lani Au, Susanne Cravalho, Naomi Kobashigawa and Jan Konia.
