In 2023, Forsyth County Commissioners and The City of Winston-Salem approved over $4M of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) grant funds to support increased quality standards in a model cohort of 32 Pre-K classrooms representative of the Pre-K landscape across Forsyth County.
Hear how these classrooms are making a difference.
Director/Owner Church Childcare Center
Workforce Development Manager at Smart Start of Forsyth County
Sr. Director of Pre-K Initiatives at Smart Start of Forsyth County
Owner/Operator of North Point Academy
On November 16, 2022, The Pre‑K Priority hosted a panel discussion with members of the Forsyth County Early Childhood Education Task Force facilitated by Liz Bell with EdNC.
Task Force members shared findings and recommendations and discussed how The Pre‑K Priority coalition is working toward increasing access to high-quality Pre‑K for all families in Forsyth County. Topics include: advocacy, recruitment and retention of educators, and support for children and families.
As we entered 2021, we hosted an important update on the progress of The Pre-K Priority initiative on March 2nd and 3rd. In this video, we share some exciting developments, including that by spring we expect our local elected officials will have authorized the formation of a diverse and inclusive Community Early Childhood Education Task Force. The Task Force will be charged with creating a plan for expanding high-quality Pre-K programs in Forsyth County.
In this installment of our ongoing series, we welcome panelists with diverse backgrounds and economic aspects related to the early childhood care and education landscape.
Dr. Alice Etim, Professor of Management Information Systems at Winston-Salem State University, Dr. James Etim, Professor of Education at Winston-Salem State University, Mrs. Katura Jackson, Executive Director of Child Care Resource Center, and Mr. Calvin McRae, Vice President of Public Policy at Greater Winston-Salem, Inc. (formerly the W-S Chamber of Commerce) will share perspectives on Pre-K and our current local and national economic situation as well as the integral role of high-quality Pre-K to create and sustain a healthy economy.
What are the components of a high-quality Pre-K classroom? Why does high-quality make such a big difference in getting children ready to succeed in school? How is it that Forsyth County receives so little state and local funding for Pre-K in comparison with other counties?
Join us for the answers to these and other questions about the status of high-quality Pre-K in our community. This webinar is moderated by Bob Feikema, President & CEO of Family Services. Panelists include Dr. Beth Day-Hairston, Chair of the Department of Education at Winston-Salem State University; Carla Garrett, Title I Preschool Consultant in the Office of Early Learning, NC Department of Public Instruction; and Louis Finney, CEO of Smart Start of Forsyth County.
The first of in a series of webinars, this video features panelists Bob Feikema (President and CEO of Family Services) and Katura Jackson (Executive Director of Child Care Resource Center) discussing the work of the Pre-K Priority, the current status of Forsyth’s Pre-K programs, and plans for a fall campaign aimed to encourage local civic leaders and elected officials to become Pre-K champions.
On Tuesday, September 22, 2020 we heard from members of The Pre-K Priority along with state and local community leaders as they discuss equity, quality, Forsyth County statistics, and the economy as it relates to Pre-K. This webinar is moderated by Shenell Thompson, Senior Program Officer at the Kate B. Reynolds Charitable Trust. Panelists include Kellie Easton, Executive Director of Action4Equity, Dr. Ebonyse Mead, President of the Educational Equity Institute, and Bob Feikema, CEO of Family Services.
Educators, parents, and community leaders discuss the importance of Pre‑K.
Dr. Paula Wilkins, Principal of Cook Literacy Model School shares her thoughts on the importance of high-quality Pre‑K.
Kelley Bendheim, WS/FC Schools Director of the office of Early Learning and Executive Director of Project Impact, shares her thoughts about the importance of quality Pre‑K instruction.
Family Services President and CEO Bob Feikema makes the case that we are not making use of the full potential of all of our children. All of us have to become champions and make Pre‑K a Priority.
Ethanie Good, the Director of Marketing and Communications at Winston-Salem Chamber of Commerce, shares her experience with getting her children enrolled in Pre‑K.
Dr. Paula Grubbs, Pre-K Program Manager with Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools, discusses why high-quality Pre‑K is important to Forsyth County.
A Winston-Salem parent, Herika Solis talks about how hard it is for middle-class families to afford Pre‑K, when they make too much to qualify for assistance but not enough to enroll in high-quality early childhood education.
Rashida Kirby who works with Family Services’ Head Start program talks about the importance of Pre‑K.
Clare Fader owns Fader RE and discusses what Pre‑K means in terms of real estate sales in Winston-Salem and Forsyth County.
As a Winston-Salem parent, Daryl Shaw talks about how much his little girl loves Pre‑K.
