Champlain College Early Childhood Education Professor Laurel Bongiorno has become president-elect of the Vermont Association for the Education of Young Children (VAEYC). The 508-member nonprofit trade organization for early childhood educators is the state affiliate of a national organization, NAEYC. Bongiorno’s term as presidentelect will provide her with training to become VAEYC president in 2009.

Bongiorno’s work over the next two years will entail learning about the national organization as she represents the Vermont chapter at national conferences and meetings. “The exciting part of this will be getting to know more early childhood educators in Vermont and nationally,” she says. “I’ll become more in tune with national early childhood issues.”

According to Bongiorno, alumni currently teaching can join the chapter organization in their state. “It’s an organization that keeps an eye on everything early childhood- related,” she says. “It’s what I do to keep connected to my profession.” Bongiorno will take the VAEYC reins from current president Jackie Sprague, mother of Champlain alumna Kate Sprague ’03.

Bongiorno has worked in the early childhood profession for 22 years, nine of those as a full-time associate professor at Champlain College, where she has also served as president of the faculty senate. For more information about VAEYC, visit www.vaeyc.org.

— DW