Head Start of Greater Dallas has two reasons to celebrate this year: its 20th anniversary in Dallas and its designation as a Program of Excellence, the highest honor given by the National Head Start Association.
The award is based on innovation, and the Dallas program is known for being one of the most innovative Head Start organizations in the country. Many national programs were created in Dallas by expert teams of early childhood education professionals.
Head Start grew out of an idea offered by Attorney General Robert Kennedy in the early 1960s to fight juvenile delinquency. After the JFK assassination, President Lyndon Johnson launched the national program in 1965 as part of his War on Poverty. There have been enhancements to the program through the years, including a law in 1972 decreeing that children with disabilities make up 10 percent of the enrollees.
There are 4,400 low-income children ages 3 to 5 enrolled at Head Start in the 40 centers across Dallas.
The centers are open from 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., and children of nonworking parents can stay until 3:30 p.m. Children receive breakfast, lunch and an afternoon snack.
Teaching the basics
"Students are exposed to a comprehensive curriculum in which they learn literacy skills, math and science skills, and even art projects," said CEO Wanda J. Smith.
"Beyond their education, Head Start exposes children to classroom-style etiquette and teaches them basics, such as encouraging children to move in an orderly fashion, being quiet while others speak, and making friends and treating others with respect.
"Our literacy curriculum includes circle time, story time and learning centers that have take-home activities for families to work on together," she said.
The children's progress is monitored as skills are mastered, and Smith says that each year Head Start children make significant gains.
The Head Start Math & Science Project, which is available to 1,200 children through grant funding, teaches math and science while encouraging children to explore, investigate and understand the world around them. Topics include, "How your body is like a machine" and "Our heart beats like a pump."
Because more than 40 percent of its students come from non-English-speaking homes, Head Start of Greater Dallas instituted a Dual Language Learner program.
Health and nutrition are also important in Head Start classrooms. Teachers incorporate movement and exercise into activities, and the families of students who are assessed as being overweight at the beginning of the year meet with an advocate to learn the importance of a healthy lifestyle.
"During this important milestone year, we continue to press forward in our efforts to reach more children and families who need a head start in school and life," Smith said.
'Beacon of light'
Head Start of Greater Dallas has many corporate volunteer partners, and one stands out: Ronald L. Jeans, vice president of national accounts for Dr Pepper Snapple Group, who was recently named a board member.
Jeans was living with his grandparents in Memphis, Tenn., as a child when a Head Start representative came calling.
"For me, Head Start was a beacon of light, a positive environment where the teachers reinforced the fact that I could be whatever I wanted to be in life with the proper preparation," he said.
The need for volunteer partnerships has become even more pressing in this era of high unemployment and rising poverty, Smith said.
The agency depends on community support for more than $8 million every year. For information about getting involved, go to www.hsgd.org or contact Deneeco Young at 972-283-6457 or [email protected].