Alana is currently a special educator for the County of Loudoun, Virginia in their Parent Infant Education (PIE) program. PIE is an IDEA Part C program that serves families throughout the county. The program uses a dual service provider/service coordinator model of Part C services that embraces the federal and state directive to meet the needs of families and children in natural environments.
Alana graduated with a Masters of Arts in Curriculum and Instruction from George Mason University in 2006. There, she participated in the Unified Transformative Early Education Model (UTEEM) program. Completion of the program results in state licensure in Early Childhood Education, Early Childhood Special Education, and English as a Second Language. This program’s unique approach emphasizes that being an educator in early childhood requires the flexibility to work with culturally, linguistically, and ability diverse children in diverse community settings.
In 2006, Alana was recognized by the Virginia Department of Education as a Teacher of Promise. She currently volunteers with the Virginia Part C Department’s Integrated Training Collaborative. She is a member of the NAEYC (including the Virginia state and Northern Virginia chapters), and the CEC (including the Division for Early Childhood and the Division for Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Exceptional Learners).