The 2010 Science of Early Learning Award honorees are the anchor funders for Educare Arizona: The Whiteman Foundation, The Steve Nash Foundation, The Ibis Foundation of Arizona, and The Buffett Early Childhood Fund.

2010 Award Recipients:

(shown above accepting the awards on behalf of their foundation)

John Whiteman, The Whiteman Foundation
Jenny Miller, The Steve Nash Foundation
Denise Higgins, The Ibis Foundation
Dan Pedersen, The Buffett Early Childhood Fund

The Whiteman Foundation
The mission of the Whiteman Foundation is to promote the health, education and welfare of children, with a special emphasis on the first five years. The foundation’s main funding source is Empire Southwest, which commits 1 percent of its pretax profits to the Whiteman Foundation. From the 1970s to the 1990s, the foundation invested primarily in the arts and higher education. But at the turn of the century, the foundation’s emphasis shifted to creating awareness of the issues surrounding early childhood development and contributing to child welfare.

The Steve Nash Foundation
The Steve Nash Foundation reflects Steve’s genuine compassion for children, and recognizes the importance of their health in the promise of our communities. Formed in 2001 and given U.S. charitable status in 2004, the Steve Nash Foundation is a private foundation dedicated to assisting underserved children in their health, personal development, education and enjoyment of life. The Foundation aims to grow health in kids in Arizona, British Columbia and Paraguay by funding projects that provide direct services to children affected by poverty, illness, abuse, or neglect, and create opportunity for education, health, and empowerment.

The Ibis Foundation
The Ibis Foundation of Arizona is a private family foundation established in December 2006 with the vision that each individual’s quality of life is connected to the overall well-being of the community. We pursue this vision through grantmaking in research and in programs related to health and education. We believe that access to health services and education are basic rights and should not be determined by a person’s socioeconomic status.

The Buffett Early Childhood Fund
Established in 2005, the Buffett Early Childhood Fund is committed to establishing a more level playing field for all children as they enter kindergarten — a goal that should be a given in any society that values equal opportunity. The Buffett Early Childhood Fund invests in young children and their families living in Omaha, the state of Nebraska and across America. The Fund seeks to redefine “education” in America to encompass the first five years of life through investments in practice, policy and knowledge.