Live United

Emily Baker is the director of Success by 6, a program of United Way of the Shoals that fosters early childhood learning.  Mrs. Baker recently graduated from UNA (and when I say recently, I mean May).  While at UNA, she was involved in all types of agencies, nonprofits, and child development: she started as soon as her freshmen year, and she told us time and time again--how many times have we heard this?--that experience MATTERS!  She became the director of SB6 in April, a month before she graduated, which is amazing!  She gave us advice on making connections and networking, advising us not to wait until it's too late.

She is also very knowledgeable about SB6 and early childhood development, as well she should be.  United Way focuses on education, income, and health, and they support about 40 different services/agencies, SB6 being one of them.  Early learning is one of United Way's three strategic priorities, so SB6 fits right into United Way's goals.  The Florence SB6 program focuses on early childhood literacy.  Mrs. Baker reminded us how early childhood development affects everyone, because today's children are tomorrow's workforce.  Having a well developed childhood also helps break the cycle of poverty.

90% of a child's brain develops in the first 5 years of life and the level of vocabulary determines a child's later reading comprehension and even whether they will graduate.  Children learn in all kinds of ways--cognitively, emotionally, and socially.  So that means just playing with a child helps them learn!  And there are many children who do not live in a stimulating environment, which will hurt them later in life.

SB6 currently has two programs to benefit early learning:

1. Jr. Reads is a book giveaway program.  Children's books are expensive but important.  Through this program, families have access to books they might not otherwise be able to afford. 
2. Better Beginnings is a volunteer based program where volunteers go to work in day cares to engage children in play and to keep them busy and constantly using their brain. 

In the future, SB6 wants to add more programs to benefit teenage parents, foster children, and pregnant mothers.  Two upcoming programs are: 

1. The Dolly Parton Imagination Library will be a program that will provide one book a month to a child until they turn five years old.  The program will be free for the families and allow children the excitement of new books every month.  SB6 is going to have to do some major fundraising before they are able to kick off this program. 
2. Text4Baby will be a program that will provide pregnant woman with information, through text message, they need to know about taking care of their bodies and children.

Mrs. Baker was a great speaker, and SB6 definitely seems like a fun program to get involved with--and not just because it's the Honors Program's philanthropy.  Helping kids learn really does impact the future of this country (and, let's be honest, our future: who's going to be taking care of us in the nursing homes?).  I'm probably going to get involved here with SB6.