NIU’s Campus Child Care (CCC) is celebrating the education of youth by participating in the Week of the Young Child.

The event is sponsored by the National Association for the Education of Young Children, and will last all this week. Activities and programming will take place in the CCC building on the East side of Annie Glidden Road, behind Gabel Hall.

CCC has been an active participant in the development of programming and promotion for events like Week of the Young Child, said CCC Director Chris Kipp.

“This week-long event is in part teacher appreciation for all the work they have done on behalf of these children,” Kipp said. “The other part is to raise awareness for the really critical early years in education.”

Events for the week include reading sessions hosted by various members of the DeKalb and NIU community, family oriented activities and promotions to raise awareness, said CCC head teacher Kendra Nenia. Nenia said the event is about maintaining quality and dedication in educating the youth.

“We’ve got a ton of fun things planned for the week, like a ‘Stop, Drop and Paint’ activity and a raffle for educational books and materials,” Nenia said. “We’ve also got a few programs in place to raise awareness, including a workshop on development in children, and one called ‘Families All Matter,’ which shows off the diversity of families in our community.”

The CCC has been providing care for children from the DeKalb area since 1978, Kipp said.

“About 60 percent of the children in our center are the children of NIU students, and 30 percent are from NIU faculty and staff,” Kipp said. “The last 10 percent comes from people in the DeKalb community.”

Kipp also said the Student Association provides a 10 percent discount for NIU students who enroll their children with the CCC.

The event is supported by the university as well, with many faculty and staff serving as guest readers for children during the week.

“The Week of the Young Child event is about molding and educating young minds,” said Paul Palian, director of media and public relations. “This kind of event is definitely in line with our educational mission as a university.”

Students can get involved by supporting the event by advocating for education, Nenia said. “Quality Counts!” stickers will also be handed out to the families serviced by the CCC to raise awareness for the program.

“Stand by these children and speak on their behalf,” Nenia said. “I can’t think of anything that is more important than our future.”