Emmanuel Israel was recently hired as Center Leader at our Hiveley Early Childhood Education Center. With close to 10 years of experience in early childhood education, and male/father engagement, he brings a wealth of knowledge and experience. Emmanuel Israel, BSc (Psych), IECMH-E received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Psychology from Bellevue University and is attending Eastern Michigan University to obtain a Master of Arts in Early Childhood Education. Also, he has earned the MI-AIMH Early Childhood Mental Health Endorsement® as an Early Childhood Family Associate! He is the FIRST African American Professional to earn this new Endorsement and the FIRST male professional to earn this Endorsement!
His Starfish journey began in 2014 as a parent and was hired in 2015 as a Father Engagement Specialist. Since, he’s held positions as Disability Assistant, Family Service Guide, Teacher, Education Coach and now Center Leader. Prior to coming to Starfish Family Services, Emmanuel spent 8 years in the United States Air Force as a Military Policeman. “As I step into a leadership role in early childhood education, my passion to raise awareness of the importance of the male presence in early childhood education, continues to grow”. As of 2019, fewer than 3% of preschool and kindergarten teachers were men, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. “My goal is to be an inspiration and example for males of all ages, who may be interested in early childhood education”.
Male educators bring unique perspectives and teaching styles to the early childhood education setting. Just as each child is an individual, educators also possess their own strengths, talents, and approaches to teaching. Also, they provide another version of a male role model that children may not often see compared to males in other professions, like sports players, – male teachers are trained to show empathy, kindness, and support. Research shows that the presence of male educators in early education, aid in decreasing behavior problems and increase male children’s engagement in the classroom.