Good people, good work

By Staff
April 25, 2004
Armed with studies showing that pre-kindergarten helps prepare a student for success in grades to come, four Meridian-based organizations are responding together to a critical community need. The Meridian Housing Authority, Meridian Public Schools, the Riley Foundation and the Phil Hardin Foundation are cooperating to fund and operate pre-K classes for the 2004-05 school year at Frank Berry Courts, Eastern Gardens and Western Gardens.
After extensive research into how they might most positively influence early childhood development, the Riley and Hardin foundations are putting a total of more than $270,000 into the program. The money will fund five pre-kindergarten teachers and five teacher's assistants in a transitional phase until MPS can re-allocate permanent education funding.
This is a significant new partnership on several levels:
It is a real-life response to research on how early childhood development programs help young students. Studies have shown that children who attend pre-K are more ready to learn, make better grades, have better social skills and fewer disciplinary problems later. Plus, parents are more apt to get involved at this stage of a child's life. Pre-K can deal effectively with problems experienced by all too many children frustration, low self-esteem, lack of confidence.
This is a true collaborative effort where needs were identified and a solid program structured in response good people putting the powerful resources of their respective organizations into a common goal and working in good faith with each other to achieve it.
The pre-K effort puts a model into the pipeline that should engage and motivate other organizations indeed, the entire community that problems can be solved by a genuine willingness to work together.
When people get together, believe in each other and blend their resources, it helps build an even greater level of trust that can be utilized in future endeavors.
Young minds are our world's greatest asset and we applaud the Riley Foundation, Phil Hardin Foundation, Meridian Housing Authority and Meridian Public Schools for their joint initiative. It is a landmark venture that illustrates a genuine commitment to the cause of public education and a willingness to put shoulder to wheel and move the cause along.