Jefferson County
Excel by Eight in Jefferson County
Jefferson County, E8’s newest member community, is led by Cathi Swan at the Arkansas River Education Service Cooperative. The steering committee has been formalized and includes representatives from K-12 education, health, home visiting, business, philanthropy, and higher education.
In 2023, the local steering committee will launch the research phase of the E8 process, gathering community input on priority areas by hosting data walk events and talking with parents, educators, service providers, and other stakeholders who work on behalf of families with children ages 0-8.
Data walks are gallery-style presentations of statistics related to boxes on the E8 resource grid. Excel by Eight presents initial data to participants and asks them to react. This helps us better understand where children are excelling and where we may need to shore up local resources.
Snapshot
East-central Arkansas, bisected by the Arkansas River
University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff and Southeast Arkansas College
Leading producer of cotton, soybeans, rice, poultry, and timber
Trade, entertainment, recreation, and health care center for Southeast Arkansas
Steering Committee
Chair
Cathi Swan, Chair, Arkansas River Education Service Cooperative
Committee Members
Peter Austin, Jefferson Regional Medical Center
Jennifer Barbaree, Pine Bluff School District
Dr. Steven Bloomberg, Southeast Arkansas College
Dr. Kimberly Davis, University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff
Jason Duren, United Way of Southeast Arkansas
Sherri James, Southeast Arkansas Behavioral Healthcare System
Angela Lopez, Arkansas Department of Human Services
Dr. Sarper Turker, Arkansas Lighthouse Charter Schools
Chad Pitillo, Simmons Bank
Allison Thompson, Jefferson County Alliance
Dr. Gary Williams, White Hall School District
Tom Wilson, Watson Chapel School District
Read more about E8 Communities
Erin Gary on the Importance of Mentorship for New Moms
Erin Gary of Bryant, Arkansas, is a "Sister-Friend" mentor with the Arkansas Birthing Project. Drawing from her own experience, she emphasizes the importance of support systems for new moms. To learn more about the Arkansas Birthing Project, visit...
Holly Rogers Shines a Light on the Importance of Healthy Steps
Holly Rogers of Jonesboro, Arkansas, shares her experience with HealthySteps and how the program makes it easier for families to get the services they need without unnecessary obstacles. To learn more about the Healthy Steps program, head on over to the blog!...
Stephanie Takamaru Seeks to Amplify Voices and to Bring Down the Maternal Mortality Rate in Arkansas
Drawing from her own experience with a costly emergency C-section, Stephanie Takamaru of Rogers, Arkansas, advocates for reducing maternal mortality rates and improving health care access for all mothers and children, particularly for the state's Marshallese...