Blog Post: GMSHRM's 2009 Diversity & Inclusion Award Recipient - Early Learning Coalition of Miami Dade/Monroe

On Tuesday, October 20, 2009, GMSHRM hosted its annual Diversity & Inclusion Awards during its October dinner meeting. This year’s award was presented to the Early Learning Coalition of Miami Dade/Monroe (ELCMDM).

THE EVENT

Miami Dade College's Stuido Jazz Ensemble opened the evening with its performance during the networking hour. The night’s dinner program then went on to be one of the most interesting ever, as it portrayed a best practices panel, comprised of a number of past Diversity & Inclusion award winners—VITAS, Akerman Senterfitt, Burger King Corporation, Ryder Systems Inc, and Miami Dade College. The panel was presented in a rarely-seen 'talk show' format directed by a moderator. Each panel member spoke about ways their company fosters diversity and inclusion in the workplace, sparking an insightful Q&A discussion with attendees.

The program was pre-certified for 1.25 HRCI recertification credits.

THE WINNER

Founded in 2000, the Early Learning Coalition of Miami Dade/Monroe offers a variety of affordable and innovative early education and voluntary pre-kindergarten programs serving more than 50,000 children in Miami-Dade and Monroe counties.

The ELCMDM was elected as this year’s Diversity and Inclusion award recipient for its impressive inclusion efforts despite its limited resources. Worthy of mention are its innovative diversity training program now in place at other coalitions outside the Miami-Dade area, its recruitment of minority vendors through its RFP process, and its teen-mentoring program.