It's That Time of Year Again!

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.