Southern Piedmont Association for the Early Education of Young Children
Southern Piedmont AEYC is a professional early childhood organization serving Cleveland, Gaston, and Lincoln Counties in North Carolina. They are an affiliate of the North Carolina Association for the Education of Young Children (NCAEYC) and the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). This organization is to provide professional support for those who work with or on behalf of young children ages birth through age eight.
SPaeyc is guided by the vision of NCAEYC that one day all of North Carolina’s children will be valued and offered high quality early childhood experiences.
Impact
Members of the Gaston-Lincoln Association for the Education of Young Children, now known as the Southern Piedmont AEYC, individually and collectively, gave money to establish a scholarship award in honor of Dr. Janet Johnston, former chairman of the Early Childhood Education Department of Gaston College.
Dr. Johnston worked for over 25 years at Gaston College and made an immeasurable impact on the lives of her students and the early childhood community in Gaston and Lincoln Counties. She exhibited the arts of a master teacher by providing a learning environment that invited each student to learn, by making classes relevant, by encouraging and enticing students to participate, by recognizing each student’s strengths and individual differences. She counseled her students in all areas of life, not just academics.
In the child care community she was a trusted ally. When training was needed, she added classes at night, on weekends, and during mid-winter conference. She arranged for classes to be taught at sites all over the two counties for the convenience of students. She recognized the needs of the community and used her creativity to match the college curriculum to those needs. She was an invaluable member of the Early Childhool Community, supporting the efforts of many agencies and organizations.