Child center director honored for distinguished service

 With about 300 in attendance for the 23rd annual conference in the Student Center on Feb. 17-18, Madsen was presented the Distinguished Service to Children Award by the Nebraska Association for the Education of Young Children Inc.

The award is presented annually to an association member who has provided outstanding service to the organization, its program of work, its development or its membership. Past recipients also have been honored for exemplary work to promote “rights, services, status and programs for children.”

Madsen has been the director of the CSC Child Development Center since fall 1989. She also is a professor in the family and consumer sciences and education programs, primarily teaching early childhood education, the early childhood practicum, and parenting and family studies courses.

Those who nominated Madsen described her as passionate and a “go-to” resource for early childhood in western Nebraska, and said she has been a leader in advocating for quality, including maintaining the CDC’s accreditation. They also credited her for creating opportunities for non-traditional online learning, and spearheading the implementation and creation of the Nature Explore Outdoor Classroom at the CDC.

Madsen also was given recognition for outstanding leadership in the National Coalition of Campus Children and nominated as the national director of the year in 2010, and co-authored Nebraska’s Early Learning Guidelines and Core Competencies.