The National Association for the Education of Young Children helps students and new teachers shape their futures as educators. NAEYC also has many ways for you to help shape the future of the early childhood profession.

Maryland AEYC is committed to helping in the formation of college student groups in all our affiliate areas. Currently, we have three affiliates with active student groups, and more in the early stages. Students are a vital resource to our organization with their fresh ideas, high energy, and potential to become leaders in the field. These students come together and plan projects that benefit young children both globally and in their communities. If you would like more information on starting a student chapter through your college, please contact mdaeyc/membership.

Student Group Links:

Carroll Community College ECE Club

The Carroll Community College ECE Club members are catching their collective breath after a whirlwind spring semester!  Shortly after the beginning of classes, the club was tasked with planning and operating the Kids' Area at the Random House Book Fair, the college's main fundraiser benefiting student scholarships.  Jamie Bowman, the Club V.P. devised an ingenious "camping theme" complete with fire pit and tents for book reading.  Over 500 children came through the area and participated in face painting, crafts, fishing for letters, and creating a "Mural for our Troops".  (See pics below.)

Carroll ECE Club at Random House Book Fair Click on any image below to see it larger.

Just a mere three weeks later, the ECE Club presented a workshop entitled "Yes, Kermit, It IS Easy Being Green" for Child Care Training Day. This event, held every year in conjunction with Month of the Young Child, is an opportunity for Child Care Providers to receive their continued training.  The students workshop is always a favorite, and a great opportunity for students to become "teachers" for the day as they present to over 70 veteran teachers.   The evaluations from the workshop were excellent, with providers begging for the students to return in 2011!!

ECE Club members will celebrate their year with a picnic in May, followed by the Student Leadership Banquet, where they will be recognized for their hard work and achievements during the past academic year.

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Carroll ECE Club represents at the National Conference!

Carroll ECE Club at NAEYC Conference November 19-21, 2009 Click on any image below to see it larger.

The ECE Student Club at Carroll Community College made quite an impression at the NAEYC conference November 19-21, 2009. A large contingency of students took to the metro to volunteer for a day and received a complimentary registration for their service. The students were excited and loaded down with freebies as they made their way through the exhibit hall between their volunteer work. Thanks to NAEYC for making their experience so memorable and giving them this wonderful opportunity to see professionalism at work!

Also in the convention center...the ECE Club President and Vice-President, along with their club advisor, presented a successful workshop entitled "Building Leaders" outlining the framework for starting a successful ECE college club. The workshop was well attended by both students and college faculty looking for ways to build their own early childhood club on campus. The conference was an amazing experience and one that the club members will long remember! Congratulations to all executive board and club members!

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The College of Southern Maryland (http://www.itc.csmd.edu/soc/maryh/aeyc)

The CSM is a student club sanctioned by the Student Government Association at the College of Southern Maryland. Any student taking early childhood education or early childhood development courses is a member of the club. To be an active member, students must participate in at least two activities per year. These activities can include club meetings as well as other projects the club undertakes.

CSM undertook several projects this fall. First, they planned and implemented a fundraiser that earned the club $366.50. These funds were raised by selling Home Interiors candles to friends and families. The members contributed the entire $366.50 from the fall fundraiser to Catholic Charities Angel's Watch. Angel's Watch is a shelter for women and their children located in Hughesville, Maryland. The students included several appropriate children's books with their gift check.

The students also decided to adopt a family for Thanksgiving through Children's Aid Society of Charles County. They shopped for food that would feed a single mother and her two young children for Thanksgiving and for several other days as well. The club members selected several books appropriate for young children to be given to the family. Once purchased, the food and books were attractively bundled up into three large baskets and taken to the family. The students who delivered the baskets reported that the family was very happy to see them and grateful to the students for making their Thanksgiving complete.