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Jenson Receives Program Development & Planning Award

Aziele Jenson, Program Administrator for Utah State University Brigham City Little Brigham Aggies, was the recipient of the 2008 Program Development and Planning Award. The award was presented at the annual Regional Campuses and Distance Education Award Banquet on Friday, March 28, 2008.

Aziele Jenson has been an employee of Utah State University since 1995. She has worked in various grant programs with the Hope Institute and Touchpoints programs for the College of Education and Human Performance. After receiving her Master’s degree in Special Education with an Early Childhood Education emphasis, Utah State University Brigham City was excited to hire her to run their Little Brigham Aggies Early Care and Education Center. This special center offers childcare and education for children whose parents are students in Brigham City.

 Aziele has taken this program and truly developed it from just a childcare drop-in center to a center that serves to educate a new generation. She has used her talents to hire and train part-time workers who now act as professionals. Her employees are each working toward a Child Development Certificate, a bachelor degree in elementary education, or a bachelor degree in early childhood education. With the addition of the new early childhood education degree, Aziele has been involved in designing the new laboratory as well as working with student teachers in the current center.

Another step Aziele has taken has been to move the center toward national accreditation. Part of this accreditation requires that there be a playground, so, using research, she has been able to help design and work on a natural play garden. The natural play garden concept moves children outside into a challenging and interactive environment with natural musical trees, berm hills, areas to plant crops, and butterfly gardens where children can watch them grow—fulfilling the challenges of “now child left inside.” Funding and grants are being obtained and groundbreaking is scheduled for April. She is developing a program that will last for generations to come.