From Florida Politics: “One surefire way to make sure businesses have the workforce they need for future success is through robust investments in early childhood education.”
From WMFE: “As people get into adulthood, it becomes harder and harder to change, so what we want to do is to make sure that children have great mentors, positive role models, the support that they need, examples and then just some fun quite frankly.”
From The Atlanta Journal-Constitution: “His new mission is to show the students that being black and achieving success does not have to involve athletics or the entertainment industry.”
From The Miami Herald: “David Lawrence pushed hard by getting a constitutional amendment to address pre-school education in Florida. He is one of the great advocates for children, especially during their early formative years.”
From The Gainesville Sun: “The world is changing around us, and we need to plan ahead now if we want our children to have the high-quality, forward-thinking education they need to compete in a fast-paced world.”
From The Miami Herald: “For the future of children — for the future of Florida — nothing could be more important than to insist on progress that speaks to all families, all children. It is, yes, a moral issue; it is, just as important, a practical issue.”å
From The Miami Herald: “We strive to offer prenatal parents and families of young children the resources and contacts to celebrate their proud moments of being parents.”
From Suwannee Democrat: “ReadingPals emphasizes the importance of early literacy as a foundation for learning; around the state, many children struggle with basic academic concepts because they never learned to read.”
From 850 Business Magazine: “A real movement for school readiness can only be done on behalf of everyone’s child because all children need the basics: love and nurturing.”
From The Fresno Bee: “All children need to grow cognitively, physically, socially, emotionally, spiritually, etc. and Fresno understands that,” Lawrence told The Bee on Wednesday.
From Miami Herald: “Investing in kindergarten readiness is a down payment for our K-12 system and for the health and resilience of our communities. Twenty years on, we’ll get higher earners, more innovative employees and more thoughtful citizens.”
From Suwannee Democrat: “ReadingPals are paired with struggling students. The volunteer works 1-on-1 with their assigned student for the length of the program. Books and training materials are provided.”
From Citrus County Chronicle: “With August coming up, more children will need reading buddies. ReadingPals mentors don’t have to have an education background. They just need energy, enthusiasm, and a heart for kids.”
From Ocala News: “Volunteers will placed in targeted, kindergarten classrooms in 19 elementary schools for the 2019-2020 school year to assist students in building critical literacy skills.”
From Ocala Star Banner: “ReadingPals are paired with struggling students. The volunteer works one-on-one with their assigned student for the length of the program.”
From Miami’s Community Newspapers: “The impact Dave Lawrence has had on the early education landscape in Florida is immeasurable. This year, the inaugural VPK class is graduating high school. Dave’s vision, mission and leadership have paved the way providing a strong start for all Florida children.”
From The Lakeland Ledger: “The ReadingPals program is a fantastic opportunity to engage in students’ lives at a time when they are very impressionable and very much interested in that extra attention,” Barnett said.
We’d like to share an example of how The Movement works with local partners to convene community members and spread the message of the importance of the early years. This article comes from Gerrit Van Lent, Outreach and Engagement Coordinator for Central Florida.
