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Pamela Perrino works to improve quality of care in the local early childhood community; serves as an advocate and resource

It's been a few years since Pamela Perrino took off her shoes and sat on a floor mat with a group of pre-schoolers trying to learn the alphabet, count to 100 or recognize a healthy food item. But her heart has never left a pre-school classroom and since 2006, Perrino has been serving as an early childhood advocate for the Raymond John Wean Foundation.

Perrino, who was recognized in May 2009 with the statewide Outstanding Mentor award from the Ohio Association of Education of Young Children, says her goals with the Raymond John Wean Foundation are to help improve the quality of care in the local early childhood community by mobilizing various interested parties. In preschool terms, this means that Perrino wants to use many blocks to build a strong and tall house.

Her work is local, regional and national in scope.  Perrino helps to “connect the dots” in the three-dimensional puzzle of early childhood development services and best practices.  Her recent work with the Warren City Schools, the Ohio Department of Education and the CAYL Institute spanning the issue of transition into kindergarten with Ready Schools exemplifies the depth and breadth of her involvement in any aspect of early childhood development.

Before joining the Raymond John Wean Foundation, Perrino worked as the practicum supervisor for Youngstown State University's human ecology department. Additionally, she served as an early childhood consultant for varios projects including training and mentoring in the Quality Enhancement Project sponsored by Tru-Mah-Col AEYC and Child Care Connection. She was also the director of the Trumbll Memorial Hospital PreSchool and Day Care and served as the lead teacher for the program. Earlier in her career, she was an assistant camp director for the Warren YWCA and a teacher at the Cortland Playroom.

Perrino earned a bachelor's degree from Thiel College with certifications in elementary education and speech and hearing science.  Her formal education continued with graduate level coursework in early childhood development at Syracuse University and Muskingum College as well as workshops with national leaders such as Paula Jorde Bloom, Magda Gerber and Alice Honig.  She is currently pursuing her masters in Early Childhood Leadership and Advocacy from the University of Dayton. 

Her involvement in Columbus with state level policy-making committees ensures that the Mahoning Valley has a voice in decisions affecting our young children.  Perrino has participated in the Ohio Professional Development Committee as a member of the writing team for Ohio’s Early Childhood Core Knowledge and Competencies and its Instructor Guide documents.  She participates in the state-wide Child Care Advisory Council of the Department of Jobs and Family Services.  Perrino is now active with the newly formed Center for Early Childhood Development under the Ohio Department of Education.