NHSA TEAMS WITH COMMONTALES.COM TO PUBLISH HEAD START SUCCESS STORIES
Words of Head Start alumni, parents & staff show life-changing effect of program
WASHINGTON,
D.C.///May 25, 2006//The National Head Start Association has partnered with oral history website Commontales.com to publish Head Start Success Stories to raise awareness of the program’s successful history and current financial needs. Success Stories are currently online at http://www.commontales.com/headstart.
NHSA President and CEO Sarah Greene defined the project’s goal, “The most disadvantaged parents and children in America need Head Start to elevate themselves to the next level of achievement. With the help of Commontales, we can give voice to the 20 million former students — and millions more parent volunteers — blessed by the Head Start experience. Each story shows that this vital program is still able to transform the lives of children who otherwise would lose out on the hopes, dreams and opportunities that we can help to open up for them.”
“Nothing’s more powerful than a person’s own words,” continued Tom Kane, founder and CEO of Commontales.com, “and there’s no better proof of how well Head Start works than these personal stories of triumph over disadvantage. Statistics and graphs are easily skimmed over or ignored, but there’s no turning away from these faces and voices, their trials and perseverance, and the victories they earn every day of their lives.”
Stories dating from Head Start’s inception in 1965 to present appear on the Commontales web site, with accounts of such notable alumni as Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez (D-CA); NFL great Deion Sanders; and Docs for Tots founder George Askew, M.D. There is also wide geographical spread, with stories spanning the U.S. from Alaska to Puerto Rico. And alumni are just as diverse in their career paths: Among many high-achieving alumni are a professor at Georgetown University, a best-selling children’s book author, and a decorated Air Force major.
Head Start’s holistic method focuses on child development in all areas, not just the classroom. In her story “I Am Home,” Head Start home visitor Carol P. Yancey defines this approach: “Yes, academics are important. But until a child is fed, loved and feels safe, learning doesn't happen.”
Sometimes the children have simple needs that, undiagnosed, would leave them far behind their peers. In “Corey’s Story,” Mechelle Salyers tells of her young son who loved to play but was uninterested in learning numbers and the alphabet. That is, until a routine Head Start checkup led to the discovery that his vision was 200/20 in one eye and 300/20 in the other. With a new pair of glasses, Corey excelled in school, and his mother is grateful. “Without Head Start many children like my son would be left out and maybe never have found the vision problem until years later when so much damage could have been done both physically and psychologically. Since the day Corey got his glasses he has taken them off only at bed time.”
Many Head Start children achieve well past their years in the classroom. Just listen to Michael D. Brown, who in 1995 became mayor of his hometown, in “Most Likely to Become Mayor”: “I believe that all that I have accomplished and all that I may accomplish in the future is due in large part to Head Start.”
Stories:
“I Am Home”
A Head Start ‘home visitor’ recalls the fruits of her 30 years of service.
http://www.commontales.com/os/we.aspx?e=1136
“Corey’s Story”
An eye exam sets a little boy on a path to success.
http://www.commontales.com/os/we.aspx?e=1114
“Most Likely to Become Mayor”
From Head Start to head office, this boy grows up to become his hometown’s mayor.
http://www.commontales.com/os/we.aspx?e=963
“Autism and Head Start”
An autistic child helps her classmates understand what it’s like to be different.
http://www.commontales.com/os/we.aspx?e=1111
“Escaping Abuse”
A woman rescues herself and her children from an abusive marriage with Head Start’s support.
http://www.commontales.com/os/we.aspx?e=971
“A Proud New Coat”
Alum remembers teacher who took her shopping for a furry new coat and red galoshes.
http://www.commontales.com/os/we.aspx?e=740
About National Head Start Association
NHSA is a private not-for-profit membership organization dedicated exclusively to meeting the needs of Head Start children and their families. It represents more than one million children, 200,000 staff and 2,700 Head Start programs in the United States. The Association provides support for the entire Head Start community by advocating for policies that strengthen services to Head Start children and their families; by providing extensive training and professional development to Head Start staff; and by developing and disseminating research, information, and resources that enrich Head Start program delivery. For more information, visit www.nhsa.org.
About Commontales.com
Commontales.com is a collaborative storytelling environment that allows users to upload and save both words and pictures. Moreover, it’s a way to keep memories of friends and family alive, and put them in a safe place for years -- and generations -- to come. Please visit www.commontales.com for more information. |
