(April 30, 2009, New Orleans, La.) - La Celia A. Prince, St. Vincent and the Grenadines Ambassador to the United States, will meet with University of New Orleans Chancellor Timothy P. Ryan and officials of the UNO College of Education and Human Development on Friday, May 1 to discuss developing a partnership with the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) to support early childhood education.

On May 1 at 2 p.m., Ambassador Prince will visit Medard A. Nelson-UNO Charter School, 3121 St. Bernard Avenue, to meet with early childhood education teaches and students.

The proposed educational collaborative espouses mutual goals of providing high-quality education, promoting healthy families and communities, and protecting the best interests of children.

The shared vision of a collaborative partnership in early childhood education is the result of a dialogue between James Meza Jr., dean of the UNO College of Education and Human Development, and Ambassador Prince along with the ambassadors of Haiti, Jamaica and Grenada. The first in a series of ongoing meetings was held during the World Cultural Economic Forum 2008 in New Orleans, hosted by Lt. Gov. Mitch Landrieu.

Ambassador Prince, who arrived in Washington, D.C. in September 2005, has served as minister counsel of St. Vincent and the Grenadines and alternative representative to the Organization of American States. She has worked on bilateral agreements between St. Vincent and the Grenadines and partners in Latin America, and has served as a delegate of the St. Vincent and the Grenadines government in various multilateral trade forums.

Ambassador Prince is the youngest foreign ambasador serving in the United States. 

The University of New Orleans (UNO), the urban research University of the State of Louisiana, provides essential support for the educational, economic, cultural and social well-being of the culturally rich and diverse New Orleans metropolitan area. It opened its doors in 1958 as part of the Louisiana State University System "to bring public-supported higher education to Louisiana's largest urban community." Today, UNO offers 43 undergraduate degree programs, 37 masters, and 11 doctoral programs. The 340-acre main campus sits on the south shore of Lake Pontchartrain, offering easy access to all parts of the metro area. For more information, visit www.uno.edu.