Contact: Sammy McDavid
Mississippi State today announced a new program to identify and assist young Mississippi children whose failure in school is putting them at long-term risk.
In partnership with The Day Foundation of Memphis, Tenn., the university is establishing the MSU Early Childhood Institute "to assist in the development of systems that promote sound early childhood education practices," President Malcolm Portera said in making the announcement Tuesday morning.
The Day Foundation is a not-for-profit philanthropic organization established in 1960 to develop and encourage major initiatives to aid infants, children and young adults. It is initially providing $200,000 to support the institute's creation.
The institute will be housed in the College of Education's department of curriculum and instruction. The department has been a leader in early childhood education initiatives since the late 1970s when faculty members Gloria Correro, James Turner and others assumed key roles in helping Mississippi incorporate kindergarten curricula into the public schools.
Also at the Tuesday announcement program, education Dean William H. Graves said Cathy Grace of Tupelo will serve as the institute's coordinator. Her appointment is pending approval of the state Board of Trustees, Institutions of Higher Learning.
Grace is an author and longtime advocate for initiatives serving children and families. A former elementary schoolteacher and university faculty member, she has been serving as director of Lee County Families First and as a consultant in Tupelo for Lift/Head Start, Tupelo and Lee County public schools, and the CREATE Foundation.
"Dr. Grace has the leadership and experience to develop, influence and improve early childhood care and education policies and practices throughout Mississippi," Graves said.
Day Foundation executive director Gary Revetto joined Portera at the announcement program.
"We are proud to be a partner with Mississippi State to seek solutions that we believe will improve so many lives," Revetto said.
The institute's three major goals include:
--Developing professional in-service leadership programs to help educators guide early childhood policies and practices at local and state levels;
--Improving the quality of care and education of children from pre-school through the third grade; and
--Helping Mississippi communities build partnerships with families and schools and supporting families as the child's first and most important teacher.
Institute services will be offered to all state school systems, Graves said.
Grace, a West Memphis, Ark., native, holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Arkansas, a master's from Arkansas State University and a doctorate from the University of Mississippi, all in elementary education, with an emphasis in early childhood education.
She has worked as an elementary schoolteacher in West Memphis and Cleveland, Miss. During the 1980s, she served three years each as early childhood coordinator for the Mississippi Department of Education and as assistant professor of elementary education at the University of Southern Mississippi. From 1989-93, she was executive director of the Southern Early Childhood Association.
"Many young children need help in preparation for school and in attaining success in their academic endeavors," Grace said. "Our efforts through the institute will focus on making that happen."
Announcements of the institute and Grace's leadership role were made at an early morning program on the Starkville campus. To emphasize the institute's statewide mission, MSU and Day Foundation officials held a similar program later in the day in Jackson.