Our future prosperity relies upon our children's success and their success is in our hands.

Smart Start's mission is to ensure all children are healthy and ready for school

and we are looking toward the future.  By investing in our children now,  we are helping to build a prosperous community and a brighter future.

Smart Start of Brunswick County is a non-profit organization committed to ensuring all young children are healthy and ready to succeed. 

Find out how  smart investing will help our communities and children thrive at www.smartinvestingnc.org

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DO YOU KNOW A "CHAMPION FOR CHILDREN?"

The earliest years of childhood are critical.  Experiences during this time literally shape

the structure of the brain.  Because today's children are tomorrow's leaders, parents,

and workers, everyone has a stake in making sure that all children have the

experiences they need to thrive.

Please join Smart Start of Brunswick County in recognizing individuals who have made significant contributions

to the well being of children by nominating them for a Champion for Children award.

Contact Smart Start of Brunswick County at 910-754-3166 to obtain a nomination form or

click on Nomination Form.  Nominations are due by August 1, 2010.  Recipients

will be recognized at the State of the Child event to be held in August.

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MORE AT FOUR PRE-K PROGRAM

North Carolina is one of the top two states nationally for state pre-kindergarten program quality,

meeting all 10 quality benchmarks, and is one of the top ten states overall for quality standards, enrollment,

funding, and evidence of effectiveness, according to NIEER. 

"North Carolina is proud and fortunate to be home to one of the nation's top academic pre-k programs,"

said State Superintendent June Atkinson.  "More at Four serves nearly 32,000 at-risk 4-year-olds each year,

giving them the opportunity to make substantial gains across key school readiness indicators,

 including language and literacy, math, general knowledge and social skills."

Please see the news release and link to the report at:

http://www.ncpublicschools.org/newsroom/news/2009-10/20100504-01