Forum Corner

President of Children's Forum to be Featured on CNN

Children's Forum President and CEO Phyllis Kalifeh discusses early childhood workforce with a reporter during Children's Week. Her interview will be shown on CNN.

Phyllis Kalifeh, President and CEO of the Children's Forum, was among the list of community leaders and public figures who participated in Newsmakers for Children's Week 2008. Newsmakers is a five-minute segment airing on the CNN Headline News Channel, 24 hours a day, seven days a week at both 25 and 55 minutes after the hour. Phyllis discussed early care and education and the early childhood workforce in Florida, and her Newsmakers segment will air in early May.

Rep. Loranne Ausley and Sen. Nan Rich Receive Children's Forum Legislative Leadership Award

Children's Forum board members Warren Eldridge and Christopher Card and President and CEO Phyllis Kalifeh present the Children's Forum Legislative Leadership Award to Rep. Loranne Ausley.

Rep. Loranne Ausley and Sen. Nan Rich received the Children's Forum Legislative Leadership Award April 1 for their commitment to making a difference in early care and education for young children in Florida.

Rep. Ausley was elected to the Florida House of Representatives in 2000 and sits on many House Councils and Committees including the Education Council and PreK-12 Committee. In addition, Rep. Ausley is chair of Whole Child Leon and is a board member for several other nonprofit organizations.

Phyllis Kalifeh, President and CEO of the Children's Forum, and Carol Montealegre, Director of Quality Counts Career Center for Early Care and Education, present the Children's Forum Legislative Leadership Award to Sen. Nan Rich.

Sen. Rich was elected to the Florida Senate in 2004 and is the Senate Minority Policy Chair and also a member of the Children, Families & Elder Affairs committee. She is a member of the Children's Services Board of Broward County and is a past recipient of numerous honors and achievements including Family Central's Child Advocate of the Year Award in 2000.

"Among Florida's most vulnerable populations are its children," said Phyllis Kalifeh, President and CEO of the Children's Forum. "Rep. Ausley and Sen. Rich serve as the voice for children in the Florida legislature to make sure they are not forgotten. The Children's Forum wanted to recognize them for their unwavering commitment to quality early education and care for Florida's children."

The Children's Forum board of directors pose with their recognition posters. Pictured from L to R: First Row: Ann Levy-Board Chair; Pamela Burch-Fort. Second Row: Linda Foy; Linda Stoller-Board Secretary; Warren Eldridge; Phyllis Kalifeh-Children's Forum President and CEO; Christopher J. Card; Robert H. Buesing-Board Vice Chair. Board members not pictured: David Harless-Board Treasurer; Wil Blechman, M.D.; Susan Gold, Ed.D.; Chuck Hood; Barbara Saunders.

Children's Forum Board of Directors Receive Recognition Posters

In recognition of their invaluable time and commitment to early care and education, the board of directors of the Children's Forum were recognized for their services with personalized posters April 1 at a quarterly board meeting. The board of directors is comprised of professionals with expertise in their respective disciplines who serve in a volunteer capacity to guide and support the mission of the Forum.

Children's Forum T-Shirts Now Available

The Children's Forum now offers tee-shirts that reflect the commitment to make a difference in the life of a child. Offered in a variety of sizes, the tee-shirt is only available to Children's Forum members.

For a limited time, the Children's Forum is sponsoring an online membership offer. Enroll as a new member or renew your membership and receive a free tee-shirt (a $12 value). Offer only available online and while supplies last. Visit www.thechildrensforum.com for more details.

School-Age Training: $ummer $pecial

The Children's Forum's School-Age Services division now offers customized trainings for your program or community. Over 17 workshops on topics important to school-age programs are available in half-day and full-day sessions. Our client list includes early learning coalitions, school districts, parks & recreation departments, YMCA's, local children's organizations and many more. Contact Jenn Faber, Director of School-Age Services, at 239-489-4386 or jfaber@thechildrensforum.com for details on hosting an after-school training in your area. Mention our '$ummer $pecial' and receive $100 off any training booked between July 7 & August 8.

Survive the Summer Training

The Children's Forum has been recognized as a leading provider of school-age training for Florida's after-school and summer camp communities. Each year, the Forum facilitates Survive the Summer training events, which are regional mini-conferences designed specifically for summer camp staff serving grades K-5. The Survive the Summer training events include new workshops provided by professional local, state and national trainers.

Download the Survive the Summer Workshop flyer for more information.

New Opportunity for Program Directors!

How would you like the chance to:

interact with other directors around the state
get timely information on issues affecting your programs, and
contribute to efforts that support and improve the care and education of young children in Florida
fulfill the "professional contribution requirement" for the renewal of your Director Credential

Then look no further than the Children's Forum.

In the next few weeks, the Forum will be announcing an exciting new opportunity for new and current members of the Children's Forum who are directors of early care and education programs in Florida. As a "Director's Network Member," you will be entitled to all of the regular Forum benefits as well as the opportunity to participate in committees targeted to your specific interests as a program director. Through your active participation on one of our committees, you will receive written confirmation of your work for submission with your Director Credential renewal application. At an annual rate of $50 for new members and $15 for current members, this is an affordable renewal solution.

Check out our website in the near future or look for us at the One Goal Summer Conference in Tampa July 16-18 for upcoming information.

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