Crane Excellence in Early Childhood Awards
In 2023, the Crane Center for Early Childhood Research and Policy began its annual Crane Excellence in Early Childhood Awards. These awards recognize individuals who have consistently demonstrated leadership, innovation, commitment to equity, and the ability to achieve meaningful results or impacts for Ohio children in early childhood research, practice, or policy.
2023 AWARD WINNERS
Practice award: Rebecca Love
The practice award for Excellence in Early Childhood was presented to Rebecca Love for demonstrating a commitment to high-quality early childhood education, serving thousands of Ohio families and children, and for advancing the field of early childhood education practices.
Rebecca Love is the director of Early Childhood Education for the Franklin County Board of Developmental Disabilities. She has served in the field of early childhood for over 50 years, providing services for thousands of children and their families, and leadership to early childhood staff and partners throughout Franklin County and Ohio. In this role, Becky developed one of the nation’s finest early childhood programs, serving children with and without disabilities in an inclusive model of center- and home-based services. The U.S. Department of Education’s assistant director visited Becky’s program and commented on the example it sets for programs throughout the country. In her extensive career, Becky has mentored many early childhood professionals. The ripple effect of this cannot be overstated. Many of those who learned from Becky are now in leadership positions, mentoring others throughout the field in high-quality, evidence-based practices. In addition to her work with other professionals, one of the most important tenets in Becky’s work is engaging parents and family members. She and her staff established a “Parents Plus” program to support parents who have special needs, and she organized services in different areas of Franklin County to make services more accessible for parents, grandparents, and other family members.
What started you in this line of work?
I’ve always had a love for children, and I always wanted to be a mom and teacher. A housekeeping corner was always a fixture in my play space. Two children and the only girl, I played alone a lot and was filled with imagination.
My mother was a teacher assistant at Alexander Graham Bell School for the Deaf in Cleveland, Ohio. I shadowed her a lot. I attended Ohio University and completed a degree in Hearing and Speech Sciences and expanded my degree in Early Childhood and Special Education.
Even after 50 years in the career field, I am still wedded to my love for children.
What is something in your work in early childhood that you are most proud of?
I am most proud of the amazing staff I have had the good fortune of working with over the years. Our staff are truly committed to supporting children in knowing their potential, and to helping children and their families become self-advocates. I find joy in creating learning and work environments where staff, children and their families feel empowered, competent, and confident. That’s the best!
Who are your greatest influences?
My absolute greatest influence is the work of Loris Malaguzzi, founder of the schools of Reggio Emilia, Italy. His work was inspired by World War II and the impact on this little town in northern Italy. “Eyes Over the Wall” was his mission to give voice to the children affected by the war by working alongside families and the community to create schools for children to experience joy, possibilities, discovery, curiosity, competence, and to believe in themselves. These schools were supported by families, by empowered teachers, and by the community, all of whom believed in the power of children.
I am also inspired by his poem “The Hundred Languages of Children,” which recognizes the rights given to children and the many ways children communicate. It is inclusive. This way of thinking about children and community inspired me to find that likeness in our school community. Our program is built on the influences of Reggio Emilia, and this approach is embraced as a way of thinking about teaching and learning. I am forever grateful for my introduction to his work in 1991.
What challenges are facing the field of early childhood that you want others to be aware of and work toward solving?
My greatest fear for children is that the joy of learning will be taken away from childhood. Children are losing childhood in the race to meet competency standards without mastering the foundations of learning (self-regulation, relationship building, body awareness, social play) – not unlike building a house without a foundation. The complexities of the lives of young children are a reality that must be integral to the professional development provided to educators. I believe in recognizing how each child learns as well as each child’s unique strengths. It takes time, patience, and a commitment to engage children at their level of interest, and to “meet children where they are.”
Research award: Dr. Monica J. Mitchell
The research award for Excellence in Early Childhood was presented to Dr. Monica J. Mitchell for demonstrating a commitment to and effectiveness in conducting research or evaluation related to early childhood development, and improving the well-being of young children and their families.
Dr. Monica Johnson Mitchell is a professor of pediatrics in Behavioral Medicine and Clinical Psychology at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital. Dr. Mitchell also serves as the Co-Director of INNOVATIONS in Community Research and Evaluation. In these roles, Dr. Mitchell collaborates with many organizations and agencies to translate research, train and develop their leadership, and advance evidence-based child health programs in the community. She also leads employee volunteerism and community engagement, outreach, and giving. Across two decades of experience, Dr. Mitchell has evaluated programs and implemented evidence-based practices to improve child and community health outcomes. Under her leadership, the INNOVATIONS team has worked directly with 15 school districts and child-focused community agencies in efforts to address social, educational, and health disparities in underserved and vulnerable populations. Through Dr. Mitchell’s leadership, Cincinnati Children’s is providing community health outreach and education to more than 30,000 children and families each year across the region. She also coordinates the institution’s commitment of more than $11.5 million in community development, capacity building, and workforce investment in Greater Cincinnati.
What started you in this line of work?
Early on I knew that I wanted to enter a field that would impact children in a positive way. In high school and college, I worked with children in camps, after school programs, and as a preschool teacher. These experiences shaped why I decided to become a child psychologist and researcher. These experiences were foundational to the development of INNOVATIONS in Community Research and Program Evaluation, a program that I lead at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital. Our team at INNOVATIONS works with community organizations and programs to answer important questions to advance health, development, and outcomes for children. Our most impactful work over the past 20-plus years has been collaborating with early childhood educators, school districts, and other key stakeholders to understand best practices in literacy and language development, social emotional wellness, kindergarten readiness for preschool children, parent engagement, as well as their longitudinal outcomes. We’ve also worked with collaborators to address barriers to preschool enrollment and engagement.
What’s something in your work in early childhood that you are most proud of?
I am most proud of the partnerships that I’ve built. Collaboration is critical to being a good evaluator and researcher. Partnership requires patience, humility and good listening skills. It requires being intentional with capturing the stakeholder’s “voice” and using this voice to ensure authenticity in the work and to guide decision-making. There is no “I” in “team,” and I am proud of the incredible work that our team has completed over the years. More than half of our staff have worked together for more than 10 years and our ties with the early childhood community are strong. Our goal has been to support the youngest and most vulnerable in our community by learning, listening, and working together.
Who are your greatest influences?
My parents have been wonderful influences and unconditionally supportive. I get compassion for humanity and the application of social science to real world problems from my mother. She is a person who genuinely cares about people, is an amazing listener and a community leader. My father shaped my technical and critical thinking. His superpower was that he could take complex topics and describe them in ways that anyone could understand them. I am inspired daily by members of my team, including Alisha, Aubrey, Peter, Jennifer, Yolanda and Lori. We’ve been on the long journey of improving early education together. And of course, my collaborators: Chara from Cincinnati Preschool Promise; Vera and Brian from Cincinnati Public Schools; Greg, Tiana and Kristy from the Cincinnati Imagination Library; and Success By 6 and United Way. There are many people, too many to name, who are passionate about making a difference in the field and with children. I must also credit my mentors, Lori, Scott, Jane, and others, who have inspired me while opening doors and shaping my direction and career.
What has most surprised you in your work?
When I first began my work and research 20-plus years ago, not many people were talking about quality preschool or school readiness. There was support for early literacy and social emotional development but certainly not to the level that we are prioritizing these areas in education today. It has been amazing to see how much more the public now knows about the critical brain development that happens when children are young. The mainstream media are talking more about the importance of reading to children, developing language and social skills during the preschool years, and investing in children. I am also surprised about the evolution of advocacy and policy efforts for initiatives that support early education and young children, even though more support is still needed. It is our collective vision and work that creates synergy in the field and progress for children.
What challenges are facing the field of early childhood that you want others to be aware of and work towards solving?
Despite our best plans and hopes, we must work together to sustain momentum. The most critical challenge is securing funding and support for early childhood and early education efforts. Early education is still adjusting from the COVID-19 pandemic when centers closed classrooms and staff sizes decreased. Without funding, there will be more attrition and fewer opportunities for children to learn and develop and for parents to access programs and services.
Recruiting and retaining exceptional talent in the field of early education is another challenge and is increasingly difficult given the economic and market conditions. To address the shortage and retention of early childhood educators, we will need to highlight opportunities, benefits, and pathways for those pursuing careers in early childhood.
We will also have to develop innovative models, supported by private and public funding. The success of early education and child care models will depend on the degree to which early childhood professionals earn the same level of pay and benefits as other employees in fields that require comparable levels of education and experience.
These challenges may sound overwhelming, I’ve seen partners work collaboratively to solve problems like rolling out Step Up Quality in 2012, launching the Kindergarten Readiness Assessment in 2004, getting the Cincinnati Preschool Promise Levy passed twice, distributing more than 100,000 books mailed through the Hamilton County Imagination Library, among many others. Having supported these accomplishments, I am confident that we can solve these challenges with proper strategic thinking, collaboration, and advocacy.
Policy award: Ohio First Lady Fran DeWine
The policy award for Excellence in Early Childhood was presented to Ohio First Lady Fran DeWine for demonstrating a commitment to advancing policy change that improves the well-being of young children and their families.
Ohio First Lady Fran DeWine has always been a determined advocate for children and her impact extends across the state of Ohio. As a mother of eight and a grandmother of 27, First Lady DeWine brings motivation from her own experiences to her role as an outspoken advocate for early childhood literacy and support for children and families. When she became the first lady of Ohio, she used her platform to focus on improving literacy among young children by partnering with the Dolly Parton Imagination Library of Ohio. She knew that her own grandchildren loved receiving a free book in the mail each month through the program, and she made it her mission to expand Imagination Library throughout the state, and to scale it to every single county. Because of her efforts, every child under the age of five in all 88 Ohio counties is eligible to receive a free, age-appropriate book in the mail every month. Through strong partnerships with local public libraries and affiliates. Ohio’s Imagination Library has more than 59% of the state’s children enrolled in the program, and over 13.7 million books have been distributed in Ohio since 2019.