A strong start means education and health outcomes are not determined by barriers related to age, disability, gender, income, race/ethnicity, geography, or community resources.
Our vision is that Arkansas is a state where all children have a strong start to reach their full potential.
Our mission is to improve health and education outcomes for Arkansas children from prenatal to age 8. To accomplish this, we partner with and invest in local communities, impact public policy at the state level, and build public support around the importance of the earliest years of a child’s life.
Excel by Eight is a network of hundreds of individuals and organizations focused on increasing Arkansas children’s health and education outcomes. We are committed to strengthening resource grids statewide by building local models for change, identifying and resolving policy barriers, and enhancing public understanding of early childhood development.
The E8 Foundations leadership team was formed in late 2022 to oversee Excel by Eight’s yearlong planning process. Creating a leadership team made up of family advisors and key collaborative members has been critical in moving toward a process that is led by collaborative members rather than staff.
Family Advisor
Arkansas Children’s Care Network
Arkansas Department of Education
Arkansas Department of Human Services
Batesville Area Chamber of Commerce
Family Advisor
University of Arkansas Early Care and Education Projects
Excel by Eight
The Family Advisor Council is a diverse group of parent and family leaders across Arkansas who advise, collaborate, and lead efforts that support the mission and vision of Excel by Eight. Excel by Eight’s Family Advisor Council lends their authentic voices as parent leaders in sharing lived experiences, engaging others, and informing solution-oriented strategies to ensure a strong start is available for every child.
Bradley County
Drew County
St. Francis County
Washington County
Pulaski County
Chicot County
Ouachita County
Pulaski County
Washington County
Pulaski County
Independence County
Pulaski County
Yell County
The Excel by Eight Foundations Collaborative is the group that helps us develop and implement our policy agenda to improve health and education outcomes for infants and toddlers.
Quality child care is essential to a thriving Arkansas economy, and business has long been overlooked as a key component of solving the child care challenges in Arkansas. Since 2020, Excel by Eight has mobilized Arkansas businesses to identify workable solutions that address the three critical elements of the child care crisis – accessibility, affordability, and quality – and its impact on the state’s current and future workforce.
We partner with communities across Arkansas to build local models for change.
Stay informed on the latest in early childhood development.
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