Head Start going strong for four decades

Published 7:27 pm Tuesday, December 19, 2023

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By Laura James-Hunter

Lowndes County Head Start

On Oct. 22, 1982, President Ronald Reagan proclaimed October as Head Start Awareness Month. Forty-one years after the proclamation, his words still inspire the work of the program for preschool children.

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The National Head Start Program has helped over eight million low-income preschool children and their families. In so doing, it has earned recognition and support for its success in early childhood education and development.

During the month of October 2023, Lowndes County Board of Education Head Start joined other programs nationwide to celebrate Head Start Awareness Month. Head Start is a program of the United States Department of Health and Human Services that provides comprehensive early childhood education, health, nutrition, and parent involvement services to more than one million children across the country. Lowndes County Board of Education Head Start is funded to provide services for 195 children. 

The following activities occurred during the month of October 2023 to showcase our Head Start program:

On Elected Official Day Judge Adrian Johnson and Coroner Terrell Means, who is also an alumnus of Head Start visited Central Head Start. District Attorney Charlotte Tesmer visited Fort Deposit Head Start, and Lowndes County Commissioner Robert Harris visited Jackson-Steele Head Start.  

On Community Partnerships Day Shelby Mathis, staff reporter for The Lowndes Signal visited Fort Deposit Head Start and Felicia Thomas, director of Lowndes County Department visited Jackson-Steele Head Start.

Afshan McDonald, retired education/disabilities manager and Gabrielle Moore visited Central Head Start.

Alumni Day on Retired Staff Day.

For T-shirt Day, Lowndes County Board of Education Head Start students and staff wore their Head Start t-shirts.

The Lowndes County Board of Education Head Start would like to invite other elected officials, community partners, retired staff, and alumni to come out to volunteer. Please call 334-548-2145 for more information.