If you have kids, you know what time it is – it’s back to school time! Most kids are not that happy to be ending their summer vacation and getting back to “work”. Many parents, on the other hand, are just a little happy to get their kids out of their hair for a while each day. (It is no different in my household!) But all kidding aside, I am also excited that my kids get to go back to school to continue their education.
We all know the importance of education. Studies show that children develop 85% of
their intellect, personality, and skills by age 5. Early childhood education has a
profound impact on the development of children and who they will become as
adults.
This is why I’m so proud of CANI’s Head Start program. Because
each and every year, we are working with
about 800 children between 3 and 5 years old, setting them on the path of
lifelong learning.
Head Start is a truly comprehensive preschool program. Our
teachers do an excellent job preparing children for kindergarten and the years
beyond. But we also focus on the health and nutrition of the children, which are important factors in their early formation. Likewise, we work closely with
the families of our children, because we know that a child’s most important
teacher is his or her parents.
Besides early childhood education, decisions that young
people make in high school have a profound impact on their adulthood. The two most important indicators of
poverty among those that CANI serves are education level and single parenthood.
Those with a college degree or equivalent credential earn about twice as much
annually as those with only a high school diploma. The gap only widens for
those without a high school education. And while single parenthood occurs for a
number of reasons, one reason is young women having children while still in
high school.
Working with youth is critical to CANI’s mission, which is
why I’m so pleased that CANI now has the JAG program (Jobs for America’s
Graduates.) This year we will work with approximately 350 youth in 9 high
schools throughout our region. The goal of the program is to work with students
to help them stay in school, access post-secondary education, and secure
quality entry-level jobs that lead to career opportunities.
So as our community goes back to school, CANI is going back
to school as well. I love that we can have such a great impact on young people
through Head Start and JAG. To learn more about these programs, check out our
web site, www.canihelp.org.
