IT TAKES A VILLAGE Pensacola strives to become America’s First Early Learning City

IT TAKES A VILLAGE

PENSACOLA STRIVES TO BECOME AMERICA'S FIRST EARLY LEARNING CITY

BY Reggie Dogan

STUDER COMMUNITY INSTITUTE

When Dr. Dana Suskind, a pediatric surgeon and expert in early childhood initiatives, visited Pensacola six years ago to talk about early brain development and parent engagement, she left us a challenge: to become America’s first Early Learning City.

Accepting the clarion call to that lofty goal is important, not only for parents of young children, but for everyone. From businesses to schools, the whole community will benefit.

Research shows the first three years of life are critical in giving kids the tools they need to succeed in school and life.

Based on early brain research and working with experts, the Studer Community Institute has created programs that encourage and educate parents on how to develop their baby's brain from day one.

Suskind returned to Pensacola in June as part of CivicCon’s lecture series to increase civic IQ and bring best practices to our community.

As co-director of the TMW Center for Early Learning and Public Health, Suskind runs a research program at the University of Chicago that studies the effect of early language exposure on children under 3. She is also the author of a new book, “Parent Nation: Unlocking Every Child’s Potential, Fulfilling Society’s Promise.”

Suskind talked about how vital it is to invest, early on, in children and

SCI has made good progress in many ways: → An in-hospital program,

including an eye-opening video, immediately gives new parents knowledge and resources.

→ A text messaging service

sends science-based tips twice a week to boost child development.

→ Family outreach sessions

guide and empower parents in our community.

→ Early learning sensory

gardens provide educational play spaces. → Initiatives, aided by partnerships with pediatric offices, agencies and organizations who share our mission to help children and families, such as: a Sibling Brain

Builders program in schools, books in barbershops, early brain decals and alphabets and numbered steps at the Blue

Wahoos stadium.

parents. Her second visit fortuitously coincided with SCI’s renewed commitment to make Pensacola America’s first Early Learning City.

It started as a vision, but now we are poised to make it a reality.

An Early Learning City sees the link between the “built environment” — buildings, signs, public spaces, businesses — and brain development, taking steps to make every space a learning space.

A simple trip to the grocery store can become a learning experience. Every grocery store can put early education fliers in grocery bags at checkout.

Billboards, TV ads and bus stops will become informational portals to reinforce the importance of reading, singing and talking with babies.

SCI’s mission to improve the quality of life is a long-term process, one in which we won’t always see immediate results — but we must not get discouraged.

We will, in the words of Ralph Waldo Emerson, “Go where there is no path and leave a trail.”

Only together can we create America’s first Early Learning City.

I hope you will come along with us.

Kid-friendly, experienced, nurturing staff The key pieces of an Early Learning City are health care, schools, current resources, media, architecture and environment. When each does its part, the quality of life in the community improves for:

→ Birthing hospitals and pediatric offices that include early brain development in a child’s electronic health records. → Public school systems that better prepare students and engage parents who understand why support at home is crucial to a child’s success. Better prepared students can lead to an increase in high school graduation rates and postsecondary attainment levels. → Business owners who invest in their community, seeing employees with children become more productive and engaged when their workplace values their role as parents. → Employers who have a better educated, more skilled workforce from which to hire. → Residents who see their city improve through the benefits of an educated workforce — lower crime rates, higher wages, better schools, reduced need for social services, lower criminal justice costs and increased self-sufficiency and productivity among families.

Laura B. McAuley, DDS

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