KEARNEY, Neb. (Press Release) – The University of Nebraska at Kearney College of Education on Friday recognized two individuals for their impact on early childhood education and outstanding contributions to Nebraska’s children and families.
Former Kearney Public Schools administrator Carol Renner received the Dr. LaVonne Plambeck Early Childhood Education Pioneer Award, and Donna Martin, a Montessori teacher from Omaha, received the Early Childhood Education Practitioner Award. Both awards were presented at the 7th annual UNK Community Early Childhood Conference held at UNK’s Nebraska Student Union.
Early Childhood Education Pioneer Award
Mr. Renner is well known in Kearney and is known for his significant contributions to KPS as an assistant superintendent. Her educational work spans a variety of roles and locations, including classroom teacher, resource teacher, special education director, and curriculum/staff development director in California, Missouri, Hawaii, and Nebraska.
Renner has an impressive academic background, earning a doctorate in curriculum, administration, and instruction and an education specialist degree from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. She also earned a master’s degree in education with a specialization in learning disabilities from the University of Missouri-Columbia and earned her bachelor’s degree in education from Fontbonne College in St. Louis.
Her commitment to education extends beyond the classroom, serving actively on numerous local and state school boards and even serving on the International Board of Directors and Curriculum Development Association. Masu. Renner’s outstanding contributions were recognized through her honor as Business Woman of the Year in her two communities in Nebraska.
Her dedication to promoting community involvement and parental involvement in the educational process remains at the core of her work. Her significant accomplishments in Nebraska include her involvement in the Buffett Institute for Early Childhood Education and her key role in securing six Pence grants for early childhood education in Carney. She also played a central role in founding Bright Her Futures Preschool, which supports underprivileged people, non-English speakers, and young mothers, demonstrating her unwavering commitment to improving education and inclusion. I did.
Early Childhood Education Practitioner Award
Martin participated in the founding of Lavonne Plambecque’s Montessori School and continues to serve as the full-time lead Montessori elementary teacher and school director at the Montessori Education Center. The educational center includes her one of Omaha’s first nature exploration classrooms, which Martin and her fellow teachers helped raise money for. Create.
In 1969, Plambeck selected Martin to manage business operations at one of her schools and trained her to guide children’s learning in all areas of the Montessori elementary classroom. She worked with Plambeck in her 1970s and helped launch a pilot preschool class, which was soon expanded into a full-time program.
In addition to educating more than 1,600 children during his 54-year teaching career in Nebraska, Martin founded the Plambeck Montessori classroom when the school expanded to Colorado in the 1980s. We also cooperated. She also served as a trainer for Montessori teachers, with science being one of her favorite areas in the Montessori classroom. Over the years, many teachers have successfully completed Montessori teaching internships under Martin’s tutelage, including her sister and her two daughters. Her daughter Meghan, a classroom assistant, said Martin was “a person who gives, has a heart to help, and is a strong advocate of doing what’s best for children.”
The Early Childhood Practitioner Award was presented by Pam Plambeck, daughter of the late Lavonne Plambeck.
“Miss Donna’s integrity, reliability, dedication, and impact on the lives of young children are especially important. Not only is she easy-going and fun to be around, she also sets high standards for others. “Pam Plambeck said.
The two-day UNK Community Early Childhood Conference provides professional development, networking, and learning opportunities for current and future early childhood educators. The keynote speakers were Kristen Peterson, founder of Butterfly Hill Nature Preschool in Alexandria, Minnesota, and host of “The Play Based Learning Podcast,” and Kristen Peterson, who works with Nebraska Extension in Nebraska. I’m Jenny Benson, an early childhood consultant, coach and trainer. The Office of Early Childhood Education and Relationship Rooted Education is an initiative of the Nebraska Children and Families Foundation.
The conference is sponsored by the UNK College of Education, the Buffett Institute for Early Childhood Studies, the Nebraska Early Learning Connection, the Nebraska Association for the Education of Young Children, the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services, the Kearney Child Care Association, and UNK’s Planbeck Center for Early Childhood Education.
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