Each year, 2.2 million four-year-old children in the United States do not have access to publicly-funded early education. More than half are from low-income families who have no early education options at all.
Claudia Miner and her team at Waterford UPSTART want to change that. They believe no child should start school behind their peers. Waterford UPSTART has one goal: to ensure that every child arrives at school on day one ready to learn.
As Miner writes: "Twelve years ago, I joined Waterford.org after I heard about the organization's mission of serving children. It spoke to me in a way no other work had. Working with great people, we charted a course to serve children in the home to get them ready for school. This was a radical move -- especially since we were putting our faith in parents -- but it fit my beliefs and has become my passion. Parents have proven they are up to the task. Knowing I have a role in helping children set the stage for success in life gets me up in the morning with a great and powerful purpose."
With support from The Audacious Project, Miner and her colleagues are expanding the program to reach even more families, filling early education gaps across the nation.
In the program guide for Session 4 of TED2019, “Audacity,” a group of eight mysterious figures stands silhouetted in black. That’s because the speakers in this session were a total surprise — to those in TED audience and to those tuning in via Twitter Live from around the world. These eight speakers all have big, […]
Continue reading