The sixth annual Star Power was actually the first annual Star Power to take a “virtual turn” along with romps down local Main Streets across Michigan.
Under a bright, blue sky a giant star stood as a symbol of Genesee County’s support for early childhood investment in Michigan.
Actually, 606 people stood for 10 minutes in the shape of a star and in doing so broke the prior world record (according to the Guinness Book of World Records) of 365 people standing in the shape of the star.
In recognition of their outstanding work this year, Jan Shangle, Coordinator for the Ottawa County Great Start Collaborative Coalition, Mary Manner of the Traverse Bay Area Great Start Collaborative and Jamina Tepley of Oakland County Great Start Parent Coalition were awarded the state’s top “Fierce Heart” award for young children by the Early Childhood Investment Corporation.
In recognition of their outstanding work, this year the Kent County Great Start Parent Coalition was named the state’s top “Fierce Heart” organization for young children by the Early Childhood Investment Corporation.
Actress and autism-rights activist Holly Robinson Peete stirred and charmed a large crowd at the “Living with Autism Workshop” in Troy with her compelling personal story of raising a child with autism when few knew what to make of the disorder.
“It was a really difficult, dark time,” she said upon learning of her son’s diagnosis in the late ‘90s. R.J., the eldest son of her four children with former NFL quarterback Rodney Peete, is now 14. “Yes, your son has autism,” she recalled her pediatrician saying. “And here’s a whole list of things your son will never do.”
LANSING -- Too many babies born in Michigan are not getting the “Right Start” in life, a new report concludes, with dramatic disadvantages for children in some areas of the state as well as those born to African American and Hispanic mothers.
The report, released today by the Michigan League for Human Services’ Kids Count in Michigan project, looks at eight maternal and infant health measures. It also provides an overall ranking for 81 of the 83 counties.
"These data are early indicators of how successful our next generation will be -- and in turn how successful our state will be,'' said Kids Count in Michigan Project Director Jane Zehnder-Merrell. "We know we won't have a well-educated and healthy citizenry without giving children the foundation they need.''
Early childhood education saves taxpayers $39,500 per at-risk child in Michigan -- and $100,000 for those in Detroit -- according to a study released this week.
The savings come from kids starting school ready to learn as a result of effective early education beginning at birth. For Detroit, the higher savings largely reflects lifetime cost differences in education, social service and criminal justice expenditures.
When organizers of the nation’s largest conference devoted to building early childhood systems look for cutting edge activities and ideas to showcase, they turn to Michigan.
This year is no different. Michigan’s early childhood leaders have been asked to return once again to the National Smart Start Conference in Greensboro, N.C. and share with early childhood advocates from across the country, the innovative ideas and plans being put to work in this state.
Summit urges businesses to recognize the benefit in early childhood investment
Mid-Michigan business leaders were charged to “be excited, challenged and inspired” at the opening of the first Great Lakes Bay Regional Early Childhood Business Summit in Midland.
LANSING - The Early Childhood Investment Corporation awarded 3.4 million dollars in contracts to ten organizations throughout Michigan to operate as Great Start to Quality Resource Centers to implement Great Start to Quality. They will be streamlining the delivery of quality improvement supports and services for early learning and development programs, early childhood educators, and families who access early learning and care.
This year’s Great Start Conference in Traverse City was a winner in many ways. It started out by being one of the warmest springs on record. While temperatures hovered at 80-plus degrees, almost 400 early childhood advocates from around the state arrived at the Grand Traverse Resort prepared to share and learn during the three-day conference.
Michelle Nicholson, supervisor of Early Childhood Education for Ingham Intermediate School District and co-coordinator of the Ingham County Great Start Collaborative, received this year’s Pay it Forward Great Start Fierce Heart Award.
Kent and Wayne Counties win Great Start Fierce Heart Award using a team approach to provide health care called CHAP that ensures a child has a single place for immunizations, well-child visits and care for acute and chronic illnesses and supports physicians with coordinated care delivered in a comprehensive and culturally sensitive manner.
In an eagerly-anticipated moment for early learning, the U.S. Department of Education revealed its intention to fund additional state-level grants for early learning as part of Race to the Top. We applaud the Administration’s decision to maintain the momentum generated during last year’s competition by continuing state funding for systems-building in early learning.
Governor Snyder’s proposed budget gives Michigan a great start to a smarter, healthier and more prosperous future for all. The Governor clearly sees that Michigan’s greatest economic resource is its people—and that economic development starts at birth and continues through school, college and career training.
The Early Childhood Investment Corporation was created to assure solid returns from solid investments in early childhood development. As the organization that brings together state and local and public and private efforts to build an effective early childhood system, we applaud Governor Snyder’s effort to rebuild Michigan by investing early and often in people and families.
The conversation about Michigan’s early childhood efforts to ensure a better future for children, families and communities is growing. And the Early Childhood Investment Corporation wants to acknowledge those of you out there contributing to the buzz.
Ingham County Sheriff Eugene Wriggelsworth believes that the greater Michigan’s investment in early childhood the better the chance that he and other law enforcement officers might soon be out of business.
LANSING – Michigan’s economic distress continues to hurt the state’s children in profound ways -- with a steep 50 percent climb in child poverty in the past decade, rising numbers of children abused and neglected and illustrated by the fact that now nearly half the state’s children receive free or reduced school lunches, concludes the latest Kids Count in Michigan Data Book released today.
On Wednesday, January 18th, Governor Snyder delivered his 2nd State of the State address. Watch the speech, read important quotes and find out what you can do to speak on behalf of children in Michigan with the Sandbox Party.
Funds are available for established organizations with the fiscal, administrative, and programmatic capacity to apply to become a Great Start to Quality Resource Center and lead the implementation of Great Start to Quality within a region of the state.
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The sixth annual Star Power was actually the first annual Star Power to take a “virtual turn” along with romps down local Main Streets across Michigan.
Under a bright, blue sky a giant star stood as a symbol of Genesee County’s support for early childhood investment in Michigan.
In recognition of their outstanding work this year, Jan Shangle, Coordinator for the Ottawa County Great Start Collaborative Coalition, Mary Manner of the Traverse Bay Area Great Start Collaborative and Jamina Tepley of Oakland County Great Start Parent Coalition were awarded the state’s top “Fierce Heart” award for young children by the Early Childhood Investment Corporation.
In recognition of their outstanding work, this year the Kent County Great Start Parent Coalition was named the state’s top “Fierce Heart” organization for young children by the Early Childhood Investment Corporation.
Actress and autism-rights activist Holly Robinson Peete stirred and charmed a large crowd at the “Living with Autism Workshop” in Troy with her compelling personal story of raising a child with autism when few knew what to make of the disorder.
Early childhood education saves taxpayers $39,500 per at-risk child in Michigan -- and $100,000 for those in Detroit -- according to a study released this week.
When organizers of the nation’s largest conference devoted to building early childhood systems look for cutting edge activities and ideas to showcase, they turn to Michigan. 
Mid-Michigan business leaders were charged to “be excited, challenged and inspired” at the opening of the first Great Lakes Bay Regional Early Childhood Business Summit in Midland.
The Early Childhood Investment Corporation awarded 3.4 million dollars in contracts to ten organizations throughout Michigan to operate as Great Start to Quality Resource Centers to implement Great Start to Quality. They will be streamlining the delivery of quality improvement supports and services for early learning and development programs, early childhood educators, and families who access early learning and care.
This year’s Great Start Conference in Traverse City was a winner in many ways. It started out by being one of the warmest springs on record. While temperatures hovered at 80-plus degrees, almost 400 early childhood advocates from around the state arrived at the Grand Traverse Resort prepared to share and learn during the three-day conference.
Michelle Nicholson, supervisor of Early Childhood Education for Ingham Intermediate School District and co-coordinator of the Ingham County Great Start Collaborative, received this year’s Pay it Forward Great Start Fierce Heart Award.
Kent and Wayne Counties win Great Start Fierce Heart Award using a team approach to provide health care called CHAP that ensures a child has a single place for immunizations, well-child visits and care for acute and chronic illnesses and supports physicians with coordinated care delivered in a comprehensive and culturally sensitive manner. 
In an eagerly-anticipated moment for early learning, the U.S. Department of Education revealed its intention to fund additional state-level grants for early learning as part of Race to the Top. We applaud the Administration’s decision to maintain the momentum generated during last year’s competition by continuing state funding for systems-building in early learning.
Governor Snyder’s proposed budget gives Michigan a great start to a smarter, healthier and more prosperous future for all. The Governor clearly sees that Michigan’s greatest economic resource is its people—and that economic development starts at birth and continues through school, college and career training..jpg)
Ingham County Sheriff Eugene Wriggelsworth believes that the greater Michigan’s investment in early childhood the better the chance that he and other law enforcement officers might soon be out of business. 
LANSING – Michigan’s economic distress continues to hurt the state’s children in profound ways -- with a steep 50 percent climb in child poverty in the past decade, rising numbers of children abused and neglected and illustrated by the fact that now nearly half the state’s children receive free or reduced school lunches, concludes the latest Kids Count in Michigan Data Book released today.
On Wednesday, January 18th, Governor Snyder delivered his 2nd State of the State address. Watch the speech, read important quotes and find out what you can do to speak on behalf of children in Michigan with the 