ATLANTA – State Representative Henry “Wayne” Howard (D-Augusta) celebrated Georgia’s Pre-K program this week by visiting National Hills Elementary School and Family Y of Greater Augusta. During his visits, Rep. Howard read to a group of 4-year-olds as part of Georgia Pre-K Week.
“Teaching our children the importance and fundamentals of education and reading at an early age is crucial to their future success,” said Rep. Howard. “It was a pleasure for me to get to visit some of our youngest citizens and learners this week.”
Rep. Howard and his wife Cassandria visited National Hills Elementary School on Tuesday, October 7, and he visited Family Y of Greater Augusta on Thursday, October 9. While visiting, Rep. Howard read the books “Pete, the Cat” and “The Grouchy Lady Bug”. In addition to the reading activities, he also took a tour of the facility, talked with staff, and got an up-close look at the ways that the center is supporting early learning.
October 6 through October 10 is the state’s official Pre-K Week, hosted by Voices for Georgia’s Children and its Pre-K week partners. Rep. Howard is one of nearly 150 officials who will visit some of the approximately 3,800 Pre-K classrooms located in all 159 counties in Georgia.
“Georgia’s Pre-K program is an exceptional program that can serve as a model for our country,” said Pat Willis, Executive Director of Voices for Georgia’s Children, a child advocacy organization. “About 84,000 four year olds in Georgia benefit from this remarkable program, a milestone in the critical phase of education that takes place from birth to age eight.”
Joining Voices for Georgia’s Children as partners on Georgia Pre-K Week are Black Child Development Institute Atlanta, Ferst Foundation for Childhood Literacy, Georgia Association for Young Children, Georgia Child Care Association, Georgia Early Education Alliance for Ready Students, Georgia Family Connection Partnership, Georgia Public Library Service, JumpStart, Georgia Partnership for Excellence in Education, multiple Junior League chapters, Quality Care for Children, United Way of Metropolitan Atlanta, and YMCA.
Voices for Georgia’s Children is a nonprofit child policy and advocacy organization that envisions a Georgia where children are safe, healthy, educated, employable, and connected to their family and community.
Representative Henry “Wayne” Howard represents the citizens of District 124, which includes portions of Richmond County. He was elected into the House of Representatives in 2007, and currently serves on the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Human Resources and the Education, Health & Human Services, Juvenile Justice, and Motor Vehicles committees.
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