Center for Excellence in Early Education

Our initiatives and partnerships provide early childhood education, youth mentorship, tutoring, college prep, career exploration, professional learning, life skills and more.

A classroom, you see young children and teachers sitting and singing

Our Impact

Since the CFE opened its doors

baby smiling at woman who is holding him

34,988

early care and education professionals have benefitted from professional learning opportunities.

teacher hugging little student

$100+ million

in early childhood funding increases through our advocacy work.

In 17 years, together with many early education partners, the CFE provided:

three children sharing a book

36,040

children with quality early interventions and experiences that increased their chances for success in school and in life.

group of teachers talking in school classroom

45,673

total hours of professional learning to 34,789 early care and education professionals.

boy experimenting with learning toys

2,794

early care and education programs with quality enhancement services.

Initiatives

Our Partners

Program Partners

Barry University
Branches, Inc.
Children’s Forum
The Children’s Movement of Florida
The Children’s Trust
Citrus Health Network, Inc.
Colgate Bright Smiles
Community Action and Human Services Agency
Community Playthings
Early Learning Coalition of Miami-Dade/Monroe
Educare Learning Network
Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden
Family Central, Inc.
Florida Department of Children and Families
Florida Department of Health in Miami-Dade
Florida Head Start Collaboration Office
Florida International University, College of Education
Florida State University
Free Injury Coalition for Kids – Miami
Fruity Veggie Nutrition
The Hawn Foundation
Head Start/Early Head Start Program
Healthy Start Coalition
Hearing and Speech Center of Florida, Inc.
Institute for Child & Family Health, Inc.
Miami Children’s Hospital
Miami Children’s Initiative
Miami Dade College
Miami-Dade County
Miami-Dade County Public Schools
My Therapy Center
Stop Parenting Alone
Nova Southeastern University
Ounce of Prevention Fund
Short Chef
Teaching Strategies
United Way Worldwide
University of Florida
University of Miami
University of Miami Frost School of Music
Visible Thinking, South Florida
Zero to Three

National Advisory Board

Gina Barclay-McLaughlin, Ph.D.
University of Tennessee

Carol Jenkins Barnett
Publix Super Markets, Inc.

Paula Jorde Bloom, Ph.D.
McCormick Center for Early Childhood Leadership

Roger H. Brown
Bright Horizons

Donna Bryant, Ph.D.
Frank Porter Graham Child Development Center

Monsignor Franklyn M. Casale, M. Div.
St. Thomas University

Richard Clifford
Frank Porter Graham Child Development Center

Josue Cruz Jr., Ph.D.
Bowling Green State University

Jerlean E. Daniel, Ph.D.
National Association for the Education of Young Children

Richard D. Fain
Royal Caribbean Cruises, Ltd.

Melvyn R. Fletcher M.D.
Florida Blue

Dana E. Friedman, Ed.D.
National Academy Foundation

Stewart D. Friedman, Ph.D.
University of Pennsylvania

Ellen Galinsky
Families and Work Institute

Howard Gardner, Ph.D.
Harvard Graduate School of Education

Janet Gonzalez-Mena

Dominic F. Gullo, Ph.D.
Drexel University

Sharon Lynn Kagan, Ed.D.
Columbia University

Candice P. Lange
Lange Advisors

David Lawrence Jr.
The Children’s Movement of Florida

James Levine

Joan Lombardi, Ph.D.
Bernard van Leer Foundation

Christina Lopez-Morgan

Tammy L. Mann, Ph.D.
The Campagna Center

Samuel J. Meisels, Ed.D.
Erickson Institute

Evelyn K. Moore
National Black Child Development Institute

Kristen Moore

Robin D. Morris

Roger Neugebauer
World Forum Foundation

Eduardo J. Padrón, Ph.D.
Miami Dade College

Pamela Paresky, Ph.D.
Aspen Center for Human Development

Christine Coyle Papera

Michelle Seligson

Donna E. Shalala, Ph.D.
University of Miami

Diane Trister-Dodge

Gerrit Westervelt

Marian Wright-Edelman
Children’s Defense Fund

Edward Zigler, Ph.D.
Yale University

Funding Partners

$5 MILLION +
The Batchelor Foundation
The Children’s Trust
The Early Learning Coalition of Miami-Dade/Monroe
Geraldine and Bennett LeBow

$1 MILLION -$ 4,999,999
Edmund N. Ansin
The Buffett Early Childhood Fund
Dolphin Digital Media
Florida Blue
Jane Hsiao
Miguel B. Fernández Family
Miami-Dade County
Royal Caribbean/Celebrity Cruises
Soffer Family
United States Department of Education
United States Department of Health and Human Services

$ 100,000 – $ 999,999
Applebaum Foundation
Arriola Family
AT&T
Auto Nation
Avanti Case-Hoyt
Carol Jenkins Barnett and Barney Barnett
Kerrin and Peter L. Bermont
Yolanda and Jeffrey Berkowitz
Carol Greenberg Brooks
Antonio Cabrera, Jr.
Carricarte Foundation
Comcast Foundation
Continental Real Estate Companies
Laura Coulter-Jones
The Children’s Movement of Florida
Educare Learning Network
Colleen and Richard D. Fain
FedEx Latin America and Caribbean Division
Fisher Island Philanthropic Fund
Fundación Cisneros
Gorson Family
Greenberg Traurig LLP
Holland & Knight LLP
Kay Hancock-Apfel
Irving Harris Foundation
John S. & James L. Knight Foundation
R. Kirk Landon / Kirk Foundation
Jan and Daniel Lewis
Ocean Bank
The Paresky Family Foundation
Potamkin Family
Ryder System, Inc.
Leslie Miller Saiontz
Steven J. Saiontz
United Way of Miami-Dade Women’s Leadership
Therese Uriarte in memory of R. Kevin Klotz
Warren Weiser
Wells Fargo Foundation on behalf of
Wells Fargo Home Mortgage

$ 10,000 – $ 99,999
Abess Family
Aetna Foundation
Sari and Arthur, MD Agatston
Argiz Family
Badia Spices, Inc.
Hilarie Bass
Ana and Manny Becerra
Linda and Mike Bittel
Elise and Russell Blackwell
Susan and Mark D. Bloom
Community Playthings
The Cruise Industry Charitable Foundation
Amy and Edward W. Easton
Lori S. Ferrell
Patty and Leonard Fluxman
Food Industry Crusade Against Hunger
Fredman Family Foundation, Inc.
Dalia and Saul Glottman
Emmanuelle Gattuso
Claudia Grillo
Frances and Irving Z. Mogul Memorial Fund
Harry Kramer Memorial Fund
Head Start Body Start
Helios Education Foundation
Hispanic Obesity Prevention Education
Iberia Tiles
IBEW Local 359, AFL-CIO
IBM
Irvin Stern Foundation
Yvonne R. and Fred Jackson, Jr
Julius & Eleanor Kass Family Foundation
KaBoom/Chobani
Kaplan Early Learning Company
King Ocean
Robert and Judith M. Kramer
Karen Liederman
Elizabeth B. and Nathan Leight
Steiner Leisure
Les B. Levi
Manuel Diaz Farms
Manuel Martinez
Lisa and Victor Mendelson
Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office
Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP
The Peacock Foundation
Peter K. Moser
Darlene Boytell-Pérez and Jorge M. Pérez
PPI Group
Prada
The Procter & Gamble Distribution Company
Toni and Carl Randolph
Regions Bank
The Robbie Foundation for Children
Maria Sastre
Jo and John C. Sumberg
Betsy and George Sherman
Trigram GC
United Parcel Service
United Way of Miami-Dade Young Leaders
Wells Fargo
Women’s Leadership
Mary M. Young

$ 1,000 – $ 9,999
AFSCME Local 199, AFL-CIO
AFSCME Local 1363, AFL-CIO
AFSCME Local 3292, AFL-CIO
The A.D. Henderson Foundation, Inc.
Susan Atwater
AWAS Aviation Services
Suzanne Bailey
Barnes & Noble
Tracey P. Berkowitz
BJ Wholesale
Kathryn I. Bohlmann
Josie Romano Brown and Mark D. Brown, MD
The Hon. Sue M. and The Hon. Charles E. Cobb, Jr.
Cisneros Group
The Cowles Charitable Trust
Carla Crossno and Tom Gillette
Dale Carnegie Training Institute
Emily and Victor Damiano
The Daphne Seybolt Culpeper Memorial Foundation, Inc.
Amy and Jesus Diaz, Jr.
Discovery Networks Latin America
Dolphin Measurement Systems LLC
Tania Dominguez
ExxonMobil Inter-America Inc.
T. Willard Fair
Enrique C. Falla
Mariita and George Feldenkreis
Mikki and Morris Futernick
Sue Gallagher
Barbara F. and Richard G. Garrett
Robert A. Ginsburg
Goldman, Sachs & Co.
Sharon and Charles Griemsman III
Steven H. Hagen
Arthur W. Heggen
Jorge L. Hernandez-Toraño
Arthur H. Hertz
Rita Hess
Janice and Ron Hill
Gregory S. Hirsch
Rebekah and Desmond Howard
HSBC Bank USA
Suzzanne J. Hubbard
Investor Solutions, Inc.
Israel, Rose, Henry & Robert Wiener Charitable Foundation
Soledad Picon
David P. Kanios
Seth R. Kaplan
Ana R. and Neisen Kaselin
Kevin J. King
Tamara A. Klingler and Mayco Villafaña
Lurlene Kyles and Bill Gasner
Suzy and Joseph P. Lacher
Roberta and David Lawrence Jr.
Aida Levitan and Fausto Sanchez
Denise LeVin
Edward London
Natasha G. and Jack Lowell
Ann P. Machado
Magic City Casino
Amelia Rea Maguire
Yusneli and Guimel Martinez
Al R. Maulini
Judith and Robert Maynes
Jocelynne P. McAdory
Angel Medina, Jr.
Kimberly and Eric Mendelson
Stuart I. Meyers
Carlos A. Migoya
Harve A. Mogul
Mirjam and Rudolph G., DO Moise
Ximena and Carlos G. Molina
Isabel Montes
Jan and William L. Morrison
Mary Kay and Corliss J. Nelson
Nordstrom
Susan Potter Norton
Noven Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Ramiro A. Ortiz
Livia and Aristides Pallin
Ivette and William R. Phelan
PNC Foundation
Publix Super Markets, Inc.
Claudia Puig
Gladys Reed
Gloria M. Rodriguez
Janice L. Russell
Connie Ryan and Thomas O. Bales
Noreen Gordon Sablotsky
Joan and J. David Scheiner
Frances A. Sevilla-Sacasa
Peter L. Sibley
Gordon H. Silver
Rodney Smith
Marty Steinberg
Judy Cannon and Merrett R. Stierheim
Tenet Healthcare Foundation
United Way of Bluegrass
United Way of Greenville County
Marielena A. Villamil
Victoria E. Villalba
Whole Kids Foundation
Cynthia E. and Lynn C. Washington
Marie-Ilene and Thomas Whitehurst
Yoss LLP
Zubi Advertising Services, Inc.

Center Committee

Wil Blechman, M.D.

Michael Burke
Buffet Early Childhood

Annelies Da Costa Gomez

Marisol Diaz
Miami-Dade County

Lilia DiBello, E.d.D.
Barry University

Donna Ginn
The Mass Companies

Graham F. Wilson, CFA
The Related Group of Florida

Anita Harvey-Dixon
Educare Learning Network, Ounce of Prevention Fund

Luis Hernandez
Western Kentucky University

Allison Hift

Pam Hollingsworth
Early Learning Coalition of Miami-Dade/Monroe

Christine Hughes Pontier, Ph.D.
The Developing Mother

Elizabeth Leight, Psy.D.

Teresa Lowe
Miami International Airport

Judith Maynes

Gina Miles
Miami-Dade County

Maite Riestra-Quintero, Ph.D.
Miami Dade County, Office of Head Start

Bevone Ritchie
The Children’s Trust

Wilma Robles de Melendez, Ph.D.
Nova Southeastern University, Inc.

Paola Roman
Carrfour Supportive Housing, Inc.

Dana Rosenberg
Jungle Island

Brent Saiontz
Siren MD

Rachel Spector
The Children’s Trust

Sondra Wallace