Faculty Spotlight
Use this form to nominate yourself or a peer.
February 2025 - Making Connections: Dr. Mary Harper’s Impact on Early Childhood Education at TAMU-CC
Our February Faculty Spotlight theme is Making Connections! This month we celebrate Dr. Mary Harper, an Assistant Professor of Early Childhood Education in Curriculum Instruction and Learning Sciences at TAMU-CC.
Dr. Harper facilitates collaboration between her aspiring educator students, local families, and key community organizations through community-driven initiatives like Books, Balls, and Blocks, the Read to Lead Preschool Summer Camps, and the Week of the Young Child event. These programs not only enrich learning experiences for young children but also provide TAMU-CC students with hands-on opportunities to develop their teaching skills, interact with families, and understand the broader impact of their work.
Books, Balls, and Blocks (BBB) is a free, interactive developmental screening event designed for families with children aged 0–5. The event is a collaboration between Success By Six (a United Way initiative), TAMU-CC’s Early Childhood Education Program, and local Independent School Districts. The event offers play-based learning activities to assess children’s developmental milestones while connecting caregivers to resources and specialists who provide personalized insights. Activities include developmental screenings, literacy and motor skills development stations, and community resource connections. TAMU-CC Early Childhood Education students gain hands-on experience as play facilitators, screening assistants, and event organizers. These roles allow students to deepen their understanding of child development, diagnostic tools, and the importance of early intervention while also learning to collaborate with families and community partners.
The Read to Lead Summer Preschool Camps empower families with preschool-aged children through engaging, play-based experiences that foster school readiness. This two-day program is a collaboration between TAMU-CC, United Way’s Success By Six, and the Nueces County Public Library. TAMU-CC Early Childhood Education students play a key role in the camps, leading interactive read-aloud sessions enhanced with singing, fingerplays, and group interactions. They design hands-on learning centers that extend book concepts, covering math, science, literacy, social-emotional skills, and creative arts. Students also engage directly with families, helping caregivers understand the educational value of the activities and offering strategies for replicating these experiences at home.
The annual Week of the Young Child is yet again a collaboration between Success By 6 and TAMU-CC’s Early Childhood Education students. The event promotes early childhood literacy in Corpus Christi by highlighting the needs of young children and their families while recognizing the programs and services that support them. The event features free, family-friendly activities such as performances, storytelling, demonstrations, games, arts and crafts, and giveaways.
Dr. Harper embodies the theme of Making Connections through her dedication to fostering meaningful relationships. Whether mentoring future educators, collaborating with local organizations, or empowering families to support their children’s development, she enhances learning and inspires others at all levels. Her work emphasizes the importance of connections among educators, students, families, and the community.
Way to go, Dr. Harper!