May 16, 2008
DePaul University Launches Postcard Drive to Underscore Importance of Early Childhood Education for Youth
DePaul University’s School of Education (SOE) and School for New Learning (SNL) want to send a message to the next United States president that early childhood education is important and must be preserved and improved.
A postcard drive titled “Postcards to the Next President: What Head Start Means to America” is underway to let the president elected in November know how beneficial and necessary Head Start is to the future of the country. Some of the postcards will be read out loud at a private breakfast that will be held to kick off the postcard drive at 7:30 a.m. May 20 at the DePaul Center, 1 E. Jackson Blvd., at DePaul’s Loop Campus. The postcards will be sent to the next president after he or she takes office in January.
“The importance of Head Start cannot be overemphasized,” said Clara Jennings, dean of DePaul’s School of Education. “What students are exposed to at a young age can have a tremendous impact on their future.”
The effort coincides with the launch of a new bachelor of arts degree in early childhood education created to help better educate professionals who work with preschoolers, which begins in the fall. Offered jointly by DePaul’s School of Education and School for New Learning, the program is designed to assist adults working in early childhood education in obtaining certification to teach in Illinois. The program is open to students age 24 or older. Students in the new program take courses in both SNL and SOE and have the opportunity to receive class credit for life and work experience related to early childhood education. Students take classes offered through both SNL and SOE to earn their degrees or certificates.
“There are people working in Head Start programs who have not had the opportunity to get their college degree or a certificate. This new program will enable them to do so and to receive credit for their life and work experience as well,” said Marisa Alicea, dean of the School for New Learning.
Established in 1965, the Head Start program provides grants to local public and private non-profit and for-profit agencies to provide comprehensive child development services to economically disadvantaged children and families, with a special focus on helping preschoolers develop the early reading and math skills they need to be successful in school.
Head Start programs promote school readiness by enhancing the social and cognitive development of children by providing educational, health, nutrition, social and other services to enrolled children and their families. They engage parents in the children’s learning and help them make progress toward their own personal educational, literacy and employment goals. Parent involvement is an important component in the administration of local Head Start programs.Those interested in writing postcards as part of this campaign can send them to Gayle Mindes, DePaul University School of Education, Schmitt Academic Center, 2320 N. Kenmore Ave., Chicago, IL 60614-2204. For more information about the new degree program, please contact SNL Advising Services at 312/362-5445 or visit http://snl.depaul.edu/prospective/ba_ece.asp.
Clara Jennings, dean of DePaul’s School of Education, is launching a postcard drive to send a message to the next U.S. president about the importance of Head Start education programs.