The Partnership invites the Durham community to come together for young children during the Week of the Young Child (April 6-12, 2014). Each year the National Association for the Education of Young Children sponsors The Week of the Young Child: Early Years are Learning Years to focus public attention on the needs of young children and their families and to recognize the early childhood programs and services that meet those needs. The Partnership is hosting a wealth of community-wide events throughout the week in honor of our youngest learners and their families, so please come join us!
To kick off the festivities, the Partnership will participate in the Children’s Festival at Northgate Mall, sponsored by the Durham Arts Council, on Saturday, April 5th. We have also partnered with Northgate Mall for a window display showcasing the winners of the Week of the Young Child Poster Contest. More than 200 children birth to age 5 in Durham County submitted their artwork, and a winner from each age category was selected by a panel of judges along with votes received on the Partnership’s Facebook page.
On Sunday, April 6th, the Exchange Family Center will host the Pinwheels for Prevention Family Fun Day at Wheels Fun Park, in celebration of both Week of the Young Child and Child Abuse Prevention Month.
On Monday, April 7th the Durham City Council will present a Week of the Young Child Proclamation at 7:00 at City Hall. The Board of County Commissioners also made a Week of the Young Child proclamation on March 24th. We applaud the City and County for recognizing this week, and for their commitment to raising awareness of the needs children birth to five and their families.
Throughout the week, local community leaders will read to young children in Durham Early Head Start classrooms. The Durham County Library will also build a love for books amongst our youngest readers by hosting story times at Durham child care centers and encouraging library card registration.
Other events during the Week of the Young Child include an NC Pre-K Open Application “Blitz,” a Blast Off to Kindergarten Kit-building session at St. Stephens Episcopal Church, and a dedication ceremony for a Habitat for Humanity Playhouse built by a team of staff volunteers at Belk at the Streets at Southpoint. A full listing of events is available here and on this flyer.
High-quality early childhood programs provide a great start in order to achieve success in school and life. Durham’s future depends on the success of our young children, and we thank local businesses and volunteers for their sponsorship and continued support in serving our community’s youngest learners.
