Academy for Educational Development

OUTSTANDING EQUITY LEADERS HONORED BY EDUCATIONAL EQUITY CENTER AT AED

Washington, D.C., December 5, 2006 — Individuals and organizations dedicated to creating a more equitable society will be honored December 7 at the 2006 Educational Equity Center at AED’s Equity Awards Dinner. The dinner will be held at the United Nations Delegates’ Dining Room in New York City.

“We are very proud to honor these exceptional leaders,” said Merle Froschl, co-director of EEC at AED. “Whether working in early childhood education or advocating for students with learning disabilities, each of them has played a significant role in making our world a more equitable one.”

The honorees are:

Woman of Valor: Margaret E. Mahoney is a pioneering advocate for equity and quality in health care for the young and the elderly. After a long career in philanthropy, she is now president of MEM Associates, Inc. and the national advisor of Healthy Steps for Young Children.

Corporate Exemplar: Brown Johnson is Executive Vice President, Executive Creative Director, Nickelodeon Preschool and General Manager of Noggin. She is being recognized for her creativity and leadership in establishing equity in children’s television programming. She was pivotal in creating Eureka’s Castle and currently oversees the growth and expansion of Nickelodeon Preschool Television, including the development and production of Blue’s Clues, Dora the Explorer, Go, Diego, Go!, The Backyardigans and The Wonder Pets!

Corporate Exemplar: Washington Mutual. For more than 80 years, Washington Mutual has made supporting local schools a top priority, providing funding for teachers, school improvement strategies and programs that promote financial literacy.

Rising Star: LeDerick Horne is an advocate and mentor for students with disabilities and Board Chair of Project Eye-to-Eye. From his own personal experience with a learning disability, he has become a national speaker, reaching thousands of students, teachers and service providers.

The evening will also include a memorial tribute to Barbara Denning Finberg, a pioneer in focusing national attention on the importance of early childhood education.

“Through this event we are affirming the important work we do as educators,” said Barbara Sprung, co-director of EEC at AED. “We help children learn to respect individual differences and value human diversity.”

The mission of the Educational Equity Center at the Academy for Educational Development is to provide equality of opportunity on a national scale in schools and afterschool settings, starting in early childhood.

Founded in 1961, the Academy for Educational Development (www.aed.org) is a nonprofit organization committed to building the capacity of individuals, communities, and institutions to become more self-sufficient. AED works in all the major areas of human development, with a focus on improving education, health, and economic opportunities for the least advantaged in the United States and developing countries throughout the world.

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