Tell us about yourself.               

I'm from Detroit and have lived in Chicago for around eight years. I attended Kenyon College in Ohio for my undergraduate degree and Penn State University for graduate school, receiving degrees in English Literature. Prior to joining OECD, I worked as Director of Programs at Gads Hill Center.

What is your role as Preschool Expansion Policy Director?

My role is to oversee the implementation of the state's plan for the Preschool Expansion Program by working closely with our federal monitor from the U.S. Department of Education, the early childhood department at ISBE and our 26 sub-grantees across the state.

What made you decide to apply for and take this position?

 When I learned about this position, it seemed like the best opportunity to use the experiences that I have had and lessons that I have learned over the past eight years for the benefit of a much wider population of young children. It was also invigorating to read the grant proposal that OECD and ISBE submitted and to see the clear vision that the state has for building an early education program that meets the needs of the whole child and whole family.

What do you hope to accomplish in this new role?

My ultimate goal is to ensure that our expansion of the state's preschool program becomes a leading model for states across the country by sparking new, effective community collaborations and demonstrating long-term positive results for children and families. I am excited about helping to shape early childhood policy at the state level, because it ultimately is the best investment that we can make in building strong families and healthy communities.

Bryan can be reached at Bryan.Stokes@illinois.gov and looks forward to meeting as many providers as possible soon.

EC HERO Provides Resources & Support for Early

Childhood Educator Preparation

The Early Childhood Center for Professional Development created the Illinois Early Childhood Higher Education Resources Online (EC HERO) website through the Race to the Top - Early Learning Challenge grant for higher education faculty of two and four year Early Childhood teacher preparation programs to connect and share information and resources. The website hosts and shares sample curricula, job postings, publications, research, and webinars on topics of interest to higher education students and faculty. Become a member of EC HERO and receive the most updated information and resources for early childhood educator preparation. 

 

Harvard University's Center on the Developing Child recently published a video series on the topic of resilience in children. The series explores the different reactions of children to traumatic or difficult events and 

explains the root cause of this divergence. The videos provide information on how to help build resilience in children and provide critical information on the role of resilience in a child's life. Watch the videos to learn more. 

Hope for Youth Day Care is the first program in the state to receive an ExceleRate Illinois Bronze Circle of Quality. Dianne Congress, Director of the Chicago-based program, knows that the Bronze Circle of Quality puts her program on a path of continuous quality improvement. The Bronze Circle of Quality recognizes staff qualifications and professional development, with completion of a robust series of trainings for teachers and program administrators.

Hope for Youth Child Care Center, named for the Hope Community Church that houses the Center, is operated by Trinity Resources Unlimited, Inc. (TRU), a community-based nonprofit organization that provides quality services to children and families in the Austin neighborhood. Hope for Youth aims to promote the development of positive values to support the wellbeing of all children who enter the program and enhance their lives through quality educational programs and collaborative community and church partnerships. When asked about her experience with ExceleRate Illinois, Hope for Youth Day Care Director Dianne Congress said, "Becoming a Bronze rated center, in an effort to help us meet our goal, was exciting, challenging, and rewarding.  It took a level of commitment, a team effort, and 

Hope for Youth Staff

persistence to obtain the rating. We are proud to be the first Bronze rated center in ExceleRate Illinois because it recognizes the standard of excellence that we strive for at Hope for Youth.  With over thirty years of experience...my only regret is that I am not at the Gold level, which I anticipate reaching very soon."

University of Illinois Professor Produces Report on Academic vs. Intellectual Goals for Children

Lillian Katz, PhD and Professor Emerita of early childhood education at the University of Illinois, recently published a report entitled "Lively Minds: Distinctions Between Academic Versus Intellectual Goals for Young Children. The report, produced through the Defending the Early Years (DEY) project, asserts that the first few years of a child's education should focus on free play, academic instruction and  a wide variety of experiences that support a child's intellectual disposition. Read the report to learn more.