Talk of the Towns 9/11/24: Early Childhood Programs and Policy

Producer/Hosts: Ron Beard and Liz Graves
Theme music for Talk of the Towns Theme is a medley from Coronach, on a Balnain House Highland Music recording.

Talk of the Towns: Local Community concerns and opportunities

This month:
– What are the options for early childhood education in eastern Maine?
– Is there an overall philosophy or approach to early childhood programs… what are they hoping to accomplish?
– How are programs for early childhood education sponsored and delivered?
– What are some of the strengths and challenges associated with existing early childhood program?

Guest/s:

Naomi McIsaac, Director of Early Childhood Programs, Downeast Community Partners
Ana Hicks, Policy Director, Human Services, Governor’s Office of Policy Innovation and the Future

FMI:
www.downeastcommunitypartners.org/services/children-and-education/info.php/Early-Care-and-Education-Programs-2/
www.maine.gov/future/childrens-cabinet
www.maine.gov/future/sites/maine.gov.future/files/2024-03/GOPIF_CC_Report_2023_FINAL.pdf

About the hosts:

Ron Beard is producer and host of Talk of the Towns, which first aired on WERU in 1993 as part of his community building work as an Extension professor with University of Maine Cooperative Extension and Sea Grant. He took all the journalism courses he could fit in while an undergraduate student in wildlife management and served as an intern with Maine Public Television nightly newscast in the early 1970s. Ron is an adjunct faculty member at College of the Atlantic, teaching courses on community development. Ron served on the Bar Harbor Town Council for six years and is currently board chair for the Jesup Memorial Library in Bar Harbor, where he has lived since 1975. Look for him on the Allagash River in June, and whenever he can get away, in the highlands of Scotland where he was fortunate to spend two sabbaticals.

Liz Graves joined Talk of the Towns as co-producer and co-host in July 2022, having long admired public affairs programming on WERU and dreamed of getting involved in community radio. She works as the Town Clerk for the Town of Bar Harbor, and is a former editor of the Mount Desert Islander weekly newspaper. Liz grew up in California and came to Maine as a schooner sailor.

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