Group Working Toward Excel By 5 Certification

A group of concerned citizens and community leaders met at the Winston County Extension Service on Monday (April 30) to find out more about a program to assist the community in improving early childhood development in Winston County. Excel By 5 is a program designed to encourage and assist communities to become involved in supporting their youngest citizens. The first of its kind, this certification program highlights the roles parents and primary caregivers play in the education of our children in their most formative years from birth to age five.
The project was originally funded by Chevron and the Phil Hardin Foundation and has since been joined by multiple educational institutions, government and non-profits across the state.There are currently eight communities across the state that have earned the Excel By 5 Certification and twenty five that are in the process to become certified.
Bob Clay, Executive Director, and Gabrielle Phillips, Site Coordinator, with the Early Childhood Institute at MSU provided information about the program, requirements and local data at Monday's meeting. Mississippi is the only state participating in the program whose main objective is to better prepare children for kindergarten and beyond. Clay stressed the importance of reaching children early: by age three a child's brain is 21/2 times more active than an adult's and that 90% of a child's brain is formed by age five. Clay also spoke of the economic and social impact that early childhood education and health can have on a community. In Winston County there were 1382 children under the age of five according to the 2010 census and 213 births.
The Certification process is a lengthy one and requires community involvement at all levels. Requirements are divided into four groups: Community Involvement, Family & Parent Support, Early Care and Education, and Health. The certification process takes two years to complete. Communities must organize with lead agency such as WCPCL (Winston County Partners for Community Living), establish coalition members, focus groups, steering committees and provide a certification manager. All citizens are encouraged to participate. To find out more about Excel By 5, visit their website at http://www.excelby5.com. Until further local organization is established, you may contact the Winston County Extension Office for more details or to participate.

William McCully