Jamie Rayford, Chair, Batesville Area Chamber of Commerce
LaToshia Carroll, Cedar Ridge School District
Shawn Craig, Cedar Ridge School District
Jennifer Douglas, Batesville School District
Amy Finster, White River Health System
Mary-Katherine Hardin, STARS Academy
Valarie Hibbitts, Midland School District
Novella Humphrey, Southside School District
Kristie Jenkins, Southside School District
Crystal Johnson, Batesville Area Chamber of Commerce
Abbi Limbaugh, Cedar Ridge School District
Lorrie McClure, Batesville School District
Lisa McGhee, Southside School District
Bani Meharg, Midland School District
Dr. Lesley Milton, Tooth Be Told Pediatric Dentistry
Debbie Mize, Child Care Aware of Northcentral Arkansas
Brandi Nelson, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences North Central
Leslie Patterson, Pinnacle Pointe
Amy Pinkston, Child Care Aware of Northcentral Arkansas
Dr. Julia Roulier, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences North Central
Mindy Shaw, Batesville School District
Warren Spillman, ARcare
Gracie Wolfe, STARS Academy
Beverly Wright, University of Arkansas Community College at Batesville
Dr. Nikki Yonts, Lyon College
Through the leadership of the Batesville Area Chamber of Commerce and its IMPACT Foundation, the Excel by Eight coalition in Independence County is strengthening oral language and literacy, child care availability and quality, early child development, and oral health by expanding access to critical early childhood resources.
As the LEARNS Local Lead, the coalition is uniting stakeholders to improve early childhood education programs and services. Public school districts are also advancing oral language and literacy through LENA, a professional development program that has increased conversational turns by 23% among participating children.
To improve oral health, the coalition is connecting families with dental providers and raising awareness about preventive care for young children.
Build a culture of reading by increasing access to books, making more families aware of the science of reading methods, and creating community collaborations that instill love of reading.
Increase quality and availability of childcare in Independence County by addressing policy barriers and identifying locally-appropriate solutions to manage and scale child care businesses.
Increase the number of children that enter kindergarten socially on-track and ready to learn by prioritizing social-emotional learning (SEL) curriculum and intentional teaching of prosocial and helping behaviors.
Build a culture of reading by increasing access to books, making more families aware of the science of reading methods, and creating community collaborations that instill love of reading.
Increase quality and availability of childcare in Independence County by addressing policy barriers and identifying locally-appropriate solutions to manage and scale child care businesses.
Increase the number of children that enter kindergarten socially on-track and ready to learn by prioritizing social-emotional learning (SEL) curriculum and intentional teaching of prosocial and helping behaviors.
Increase the number of children that enter kindergarten physically on-track and ready to learn by providing more opportunities for families to build gross and fine motor skill
Increase the proportion of low-income children who receive preventive dental services by expanding oral health knowledge among early educators and families, connecting families to local dentists, and easing barriers to accessing dental care.
Excel by Eight is dedicated to supporting families and children across Arkansas, including right here in Independence County. Learn more about these efforts by exploring articles or joining the county committee.
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