Chelsea Clinton Visits Local Early Education Center

The intensity rises as for the  Missouri election for the 2016 presidential candidate. Such matters have taken first seat at the discussion table, like gun control, immigration, and national security have all been the hot topics concerning our nation. However this past Monday March 14, 2016 Chelsea Clinton daughter of former first lady and now Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton decided to switch gears and point our direction towards our smallest investment, children.

Chelsea Clinton took a different approach and paid a visit to the Urban Sprouts Childhood Development Center to do just that. Joined by Ellicia Qualls founder and executive director of Urban Sprouts and Steve Zwolack founder of the LUME  Institute gathered for a round table fit for three to discuss how important quality early education is to our city, state, and nation. With back-to-back campaigns it is only fitting for Hillary Clinton to have Chelsea be a voice for her. As many may know Hillary Clinton has always been a supporter for education. Starting the Home Instruction for Parents of Preschool Youngsters [HIPPY] nearly 30 years ago, now operating in 21 states including Missouri provides resources for parents to better educate children at home before they enter kindergarten.

” Who we elect plays such fundamental role…everything I care most about is at risk,” Clinton says.

Chelsea Clinton interacting with Urban Sprouts Youth.

Chelsea Clinton interacting with Urban Sprouts Youth.

Being a mother of a toddler and one on the way quality early education is a personal matter for her. She goes on to say what is unique about her mom is she understands early child development. Through the Clinton Foundation, the former first lady launched her “Too Small to Fail” campaign, which encourages parents to read, talk and sing to their children to help them learn more words at a younger age.

Top leading organizations like National Association of Education for the Young Children [NAEYC] believe that much of what you need to succeed in life is established before you enter kindergarten. During that time, the human brain undergoes rapid development; it’s a period when a child builds cognitive skills — the foundation for reading, math, science and academics — as well as character skills, social-emotional growth, gross-motor skills and executive functioning, which includes everything from impulse control to problem solving.

Being an advocate for her mothers’ work and a mom herself Chelsea Clinton understands how important it is for our government to invest in early education. She believes her mother will continue to protect the work of President Barack Obama and build on it. Hillary Clinton will carry on the objectives of the, The Every Student Succeeds Act [ESSA] signed by President Obama in December of 2015 a bill many thought wouldn’t be pushed into law. The bipartisan decision to pass the new education law can help ensure all children regardless of social and economic background can have a chance to reach their fullest potential.

“We have to have a president that knows how to build a coalition…build bi-partisanship for early education programs, said Chelsea Clinton.”

During tough times when finding affordable quality education can be compared to finding a needle in a hay stack, areas like St. Louis is one of many with a small number of affordable quality early education centers that won’t break you financially. Ellicia Qualls founder and executive director of Urban Sprouts mentioned as a working mom finding an affordable early education center was really tough. She felt she had to open a place like Urban Sprouts so that working families and their children can have a chance to receive and experience superior education.

When children are leave centers that have equipped them with essential tools needed to be kindergarten ready we can capitalize on the information learned, we can maximize their path towards success. With the help of more affordable quality early education we have a better chance of supporting all of our children.

Motivating the room to continue to push for children and their education Chelsea makes a point by saying, “When children leave places like this [Urban Sprouts] they can walk into the school system and be ready.” With confidence she proclaims her mother Hillary Clinton is the best candidate to ensure centers like Urban Sprouts will be affordable for all families and children.

Chelsea ended with, “This isn’t just about who I think is best for my kid, but who is best president for all our children.”Chelsea Clinton at Urban Sprouts.

Top Row L-R
Naretha Hopson, Bijal Desai-Ramirez, Chelsea Clinton, Ellicia Qualls, Darcy Hunter, Andrea Barragan, Kelli Wiggins
Bottom Row L-R
Cole Dolby, Alicia Hudson, Cecilia Spayd, Miller Johnson, Sahana Desai-Ramirez

 

 

Ashley Winters
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