Childhood Development and Literacy Center director returns to CCU roots
As a Coastal Carolina University alumna, North Myrtle Beach native and an experienced early childhood education professional of 26 years, Angela Huggins found her “dream job” when she joined the CCU faculty as the director of the Childhood Development and Literacy Center.
“I couldn’t think of anything that I’d rather do,” Huggins said. “It’s a perfect balance of working with young children and helping pre-service teachers and others in the community learn more about how children learn.”
Her duties at the Childhood Development and Literacy Center will be challenging, because of all the preparation required prior to the center opening in August. Huggins will be hiring teachers and handling paperwork, but she will most likely also be teaching classes in the beginning of the school year until the center is on track.
Even though there will be a lot on her plate, Huggins is qualified and excited to begin the work. She began her experience in early childhood education as a kindergarten teacher in North Myrtle Beach Primary. She was also principal at Britton's Neck Elementary School in Marion County and at Pee Dee Elementary.
“I understand the district expectations in Horry County, and I understand the expectations in Marion County because I’ve experienced those as well.”
She enjoys helping young children and the pre-service teachers in the Spadoni College of Education program equally, which is why she believes this is the perfect job for her. Huggins will coordinate with other University departments such as music and art, to give them hands-on working with children, through internships. Also, Huggins said the children in the center will gain enriching experiences that they would not have at a day care.
“Some of our [pre-service teaching] students plan to stay local and some will go to other places, but the focus is always on making sure our students understand how young children learn best and be prepared for work after they leave us.”
Huggins earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in early childhood education from CCU. She then earned a second master’s degree in educational leadership and supervision from the University of South Carolina and a doctorate in educational leadership from Capella University.
The center, located in Kingston Hall, will open in August. The center offers school-day, half-day, after-school and summer enrichment programs for children between the ages of 3 to 5 years old. The center is much more than a day care; it provides project-based learning which focuses on children’s developmental stages and their individual interests to create a curriculum, plus plenty of playtime in the classrooms and the outdoor playground.
For more information about the Childhood Development and Literacy Center, visit coastal.edu/childdevelopmentcenter/
