First Things First honors a champion for young children in Flagstaff

Jun 24, 2015 | CCC&Y Info & Events

Paula Stefani, left, and Cynthia Pardo, right, recognize Ruth Ellen Elinski as a 2015 First Things First Champion for Young Children in the Coconino Region.

Paula Stefani, left, and Cynthia Pardo, right, recognize Ruth Ellen Elinski as a 2015 First Things First Champion for Young Children in the Coconino Region.

FLAGSTAFF – First Things First recognizes Ruth Ellen Elinski as a 2015 First Things First Champion for Young Children in the Coconino Region.

The First Things First Champion for Young Children award is given to local champions who actively volunteer their time to raise public awareness of the importance of early childhood development and health. Champions spend a significant amount of time volunteering with FTF and building public awareness about the importance of early childhood issues.

Ruth Ellen Elinski, Executive Director for the Coconino Coalition for Children and Youth, spends her free time volunteering with First Things First and spreading the word of the importance of early childhood education.

“Giving young children the building blocks early, will give them the tools to learn, engage, and be successful throughout life, from kindergarten, through school and to college or career, and on as parents and contributing members of the community,” Elinski said.

Elinski has served as CCC&Y’s Director since May 2010. She graduated from Indiana University from the School of Public and Environmental Affairs and has an extensive background in business and nonprofit management.

Elinski participates in various community initiatives and boards including the Children of Incarcerated Parents Task Force, Flagstaff’s Commission on Excellence in Education, and the First Things First Benchmarking Committee among others. She was the 2013 recipient of the Athena Young Professional Award presented by the Flagstaff Chamber of Commerce and a Fellow of the Flinn-Brown Civic Leadership Academy.

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