Early Childhood Educator Wins Award

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

MEDIA CONTACT:
Martha Kebhart
Edison State College Child Care Center
(239) 267-1136
marthak@ccswfl.org

Susan Bennett, APR, CPRC
Susan Bennett Marketing & Media
(239) 277-5255
sbennett@susanbennett.biz

FORT MYERS, Fla., October 27, 2010 - Zani Raney, an early childhood teacher at Edison State College Child Care Center, earned the Outstanding Member Award from the Lee County affiliate of the Florida Asociation for the Education of Young Children (FLAEYC).

Raney received the award at the annual conference in Orlando earlier this month. It's the first time Lee County AEYC has presented the award to a member.

"We are so very proud of Zani and what she has accomplished," said Martha Kebhart, director of the Edison State College Child Care Center. "She has been a valuable asset to Child Care of Southwest Florida for many years. We are delighted to see her get the recongnition that she deserves."

The Lee County Association for the Education of Young Children nominated Raney for the award, which is presented to one person each year who has played a vital role in the local association and demonstrated outsanding dedication and work for young children.

Raney has served in every office of the Lee County Association for the Education of Young children and conducted workshops for both student and teachers in art, music, science, and math.

Kebhart said Zani has worked at centers operated by Child Care of Southwest Florida since 1992 and has been an early childhood educator at Edison State College Child Care Center since 2003.

She graduated from Shephens College in Columbia, MO, with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Foreign Languages and holds a teaching certificate for ages 3 to Grade 3.

Edison State College Child Care Center is located on the Lee County campus of Edison State College at 13311 Edison Lane in Fort Myers and is operated by Child Care of Southwest Florida, Inc. The center is licensed to care for 139 children from ages 1 to 5.

For more information, call the center at (239) 267-1136 or visit www.CCSWFL.org.

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About Child Care of Southwest Florida

Child Care of Southwest Florida, Inc., is a private non-profit organization dedicated to providing high quality child care services throughout Southwest Florida. The agency provides child care for 700 children from infancy through age 12 at its six child care centers throughout Lee and Hendry counties. In addition, the agency conducts training for child care workers, and administers the federal food program in 10 counties for child care centers and family child care homes. More information is available at www.CCSWFL.org.

About the Florida Association for the Education of Young Children

The Florida Association for the Education of Young Children is the larges orgainzation for early childhood professionals in the state of Florida. The association's 3,500 members serve in all levels of early childhood education, working directly with thousands of families with children from birth to age eight, as well as at the high school and college level training teachers. They teach in approximately 525 publicly funded programs; 450 private, nonprofit schools; 400 private, for-profit child care centers and family child care homes; and 15 corporate on-site child care centers. For more information, visit www.flaeyc.org.