The SECA Board of Directors has opened the nominations process for this year’s awards. Please send all nominations to Paul Lazenby paul@arkansasearlychildhood.org no later than Friday, June 28 so we can forward them to SECA before the deadlines below. A letter for each nomination that meets the requirements of each award is required.
Dr. T. Berry Brazelton Friend of Children Award Deadline No later than July 1
This award is given at the annual conference to an individual who is a nationally recognized children’s advocate. Letters of Nomination are submitted by the state affiliates. Letters of Nomination should clearly describe how the nominee meets the award criteria. The recipient will be selected by vote of the SECA Board at the summer Board meeting. Nominees should meet the following criteria:
- Have made a contribution nationally in the field of advocacy that supports children and families.
- Have made a contribution in fostering the professional growth and development of individuals working with young children and their families.
The recipient is not required to be a member of SECA. (Posthumous awards may be awarded at the discretion of the SECA Board of Directors.)
Glenda Bean Scholarship Award Deadline No later than July 1
This scholarship will be awarded in honor of Glenda Bean of Arkansas who has served as SECA Executive Director from 1998 to 2017. Before coming to SECA, Glenda was the Director of the Division of Child Care and Early Childhood Education for the state of Arkansas. She has guided SECA through her excellence in governance and management throughout her time at SECA. This scholarship consists of a stipend (set by the SECA Board of Directors) and complimentary conference registration to aid in the recipient’s attendance at the SECA Annual Conference.
The individual who is chosen to receive this scholarship should:
• Be a current member of SECA
• Be a current or former employee or board member of a SECA state affiliate
• Be recognized for specific contributions to strengthening the management and/or governance structure of the affiliate
Letters of nomination for the award are accepted each year from state affiliates. The recipient will be selected by a vote of the SECA board at its summer meeting.
Phil Acord Award Deadline No later than July 1
SECA has been very fortunate to have highly dedicated and passionate men who have supported the Association’s efforts in improving quality and advocating for young children throughout the South. SECA will now recognize each year a recipient of the Phil Acord Award, named in honor of an exemplary member of SECA who hails from Tennessee.
This award was created in 2016 by the SECA Board of Directors in partnership with Kaplan Early Learning Company, which provided a generous donation to initially fund this scholarship for the recipient to attend the annual SECA conference.
Each year all state affiliates may put forth a nomination if they so desire. Each should nominate someone by sending a letter to the SECA Board by July 1st stating their rationale for their nominee. The Board reviews the nominations and votes to select the winner based on the following criteria:
- He should be known for his exemplary work in supporting and/or improving the quality of experiences provided to young children (birth through grade three) within the state.
- He should exemplify excellent leadership by creating or developing a program, project, or activity that improves the educational opportunities of young children.
- He should have made a contribution in fostering the professional growth and development of individuals working with young children and their families.
- He should be recognized by others for being dedicated to achieving the desired results for young children and families.
The recipient is not required to be a member of SECA.
The Helen Harley Memorial Scholarships ~ State affiliate determines the procedure by which the recipient is selected.
Rotation: 2024 – Georgia/Kentucky/Louisiana – Deadline August 1
The Helen B. Harley Memorial Scholarships were created in honor of Helen B. Harley, SACUS business manager from 1971 to 1974. Mrs. Harley was from South Carolina and served as the first “official” business manager of the Association.
Three scholarships are presented each year to individuals from designated states to assist him/her in attending the SECA conference for the first time. The scholarship consists of a stipend (set by the SECA Board of Directors) and complimentary conference registration. The award is rotated among the SECA states on the following schedule.
Marian B. Hamilton Award ~ State affiliate determines the procedure by which the recipient is selected, based on the criteria listed below.
Rotation: 2024 West Virginia/Alabama/Arkansas – Deadline August 1
This award was created in honor of Marian B. Hamilton, a past president of the Southern Association on Children Under Six (SACUS). Marian was a member of the Kentucky association and served as SACUS (now SECA) President in 1978 & 1979. During her term of office, circulation of Dimensions of Early Childhood rose to 12,000 and the first Board-to-Board newsletter was created.
Three grants are awarded each year to designated states to strengthen local affiliates/chapters or provide leadership development activities. The award rotates among the states on the following schedule. The state affiliate determines the procedure by which the recipient is selected, based on the following criteria:
- Leadership—This individual or group of individuals is able to motivate and inspire others to accomplish a specific goal or objective.
- Initiative—This individual or group of individuals is able to take charge by creating or developing a program, project, or activity that impacts the community and has a personal commitment to see the project through to its resolution with determined effort.
- Dedication—This individual or group of individuals is recognized by others for being dedicated to achieving the desired results.
Student Grants
The SECA Board of Directors has created a matching grant program to support the attendance of student chapters and groups at the annual SECA conference. SECA will match any funds raised by the student groups with a maximum of $1000 available to each student group. The SECA Board of Directors will set the limits on the total amount available for these grants annually, and the Finance Commission will provide oversight of the grant award process. (See Appendix A, pages 73-76, for a copy of the application.)
Student groups that qualify for the grant will meet the following criteria and be certified as eligible by the SECA affiliate in the state in which they are located.
§ The student group will be formally organized as a student chapter and recognized by the state affiliate.
§ The student group will be associated with an educational entity (high school, technical institute, college or university) and be recognized by the state affiliate as a legitimate state group.
President’s Award
Rotation: 2024 Tennessee – Deadline August 1
This award is presented at the annual conference to a state advocate and is selected by the state designated for that year.
Recipients should meet the following criteria:
· Have made contributions at the state level in the field of advocacy that supports children and families.
- Have made a contribution in fostering the professional growth and development of individuals working with young children and their families.
The recipient is not required to be a member of SECA.
Outstanding SECA Member Award July 1st
The Outstanding Member Award is presented each year by the SECA Board of Directors to recognize a SECA member who has contributed significantly to the organization. Nominations are solicited by the SECA office from each state affiliate. Letters of nomination from the state affiliate should indicate how award criteria are met by the individual being nominated. A brief resume from the individual nominated should accompany the letter of nomination. SECA members currently serving on the Board of Directors are not eligible until after their term as a Board member concludes.
The nominations are considered by the SECA Board of Directors at their summer meeting, and the recipient is selected by the Board. Nominations considered at the annual meeting will include all nominations considered for the past three years. Nominees for Outstanding SECA member should meet the following criteria:
- Have a record of service to the organization over a period of several years. This record should include leadership roles within the organization.
- Demonstrate a commitment to the mission of the organization as evidenced through his/her personal and professional experiences.
- Have a record of service at the state affiliate level.
- Be recognized by his/her colleagues as a leader in the field of early childhood education through their service to children and families in the South.
- Be a current member of SECA.
The recipient will be presented with a mint julep cup at the annual.
Rich Scofield Memorial Scholarship
Rotation: 2024 Florida Deadline August 1
This scholarship was created in 2005 by the SECA Board of Directors in memory of Rich Scofield, a SECA member from Tennessee, who contributed significantly to the Association during his life. Rich was the creator of School-Age Notes and focused his attention on the school-age population, particularly before and after school programs. The scholarship consists of a stipend (set by the SECA Board of Directors as funding allows), plaque and complimentary conference registration.
The Southern Early Childhood Association supports those who work with children from birth through age eight. The individual who is chosen to receive the Rich Scofield Memorial Award should:
· Be known for their exemplary work in supporting and/or improving the quality of experiences provided to primary age children (kindergarten through grade three) within the state.
· Be identified for their work with primary age children within the state, with a priority given for work in out-of-school-time programs.
First consideration should be for an active member of a local or state SECA affiliate; however, membership in SECA is not required of the recipient. The recipient is selected by a designated state affiliate and the state affiliate determines how the selection is made.
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