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Putting the pieces together
Many of you don't know me, so let me introduce myself. My name is Jennifer Prince and I am the grant writer for Crossroads Youth & Family Services. Prior to embarking on this amazing quest I was a high school English teacher. I absolutely loved teaching English but was heartbroken at some of the stories I heard about students and their developmental years. Many students came into education with huge gaps in achievement compared to other students. Instead of schools being a remedy, they often were trying to play catch-up. Students were seen as behavior issues starting in kindergarten and I heard countless stories of teachers quitting in the middle of the year. Then, as a Sophomore in high school, many of these students felt like failures not being able to do the work required to go to the next level.
While learning more about Head Start and thinking about how a program like this would have made these students' lives better, I ran into a Ted Talk (yes, I watch these for fun) by former California representative Loretta Sanchez talking about what the program did for her. In fact, the benefits of the program led her mom to be the "first woman in history to send two daughters to Congress."
Not just for the kids
Head Start is about assisting parents to achieve their greatness as well and to become better advocates for their children. This story is one of many that highlight the importance of advocacy and building better communities. Through our programs, Crossroads Youth & Family Services are currently helping many teachers and parents complete higher education and specialized training. We look forward to celebrating each of them as they complete their various programs.
For more information visit our center pages which highlight information from each center.