A HIPPY celebration of excellence; a community call to action

March 28, 2018 admin Education, News 0

HIPPY Student of the Month two times — According to her father, this CSLC HIPPY graduate has earned 18 academic awards since entering Goodman-Picken Elementary School, Pickens, Miss. last fall 2017. (PHOTO: Courtesy of Parent)

The Mississippi Link Newswire

According to her father, this CSLC HIPPY graduate has earned 18 academic awards since entering Goodman-Picken Elementary School, Pickens, Miss. last fall 2017. (PHOTO: Courtesy of Parent)

LEXINGTON, Miss. – The Community Students Learning Center (CSLC) Home Instruction for Parents of Pre-school Youngsters (HIPPY) Advisory Board will present “A Celebration of Excellence,” Thursday, March 29, 2018 at 5:30 p.m.

The Appreciation Program/Reception will be held at the Holmes County Arts Council, 325 China Street, Lexington. The public is cordially invited! Special invitations have been also extended to all parents, donors, local and area churches, public officials and other dignitaries.

“Seeing the passion that the CSLC staff has for implementing the HIPPY program and seeing how CSLC wanted to get it out more into our community and then beyond, as an Advisory Board Member, I was inspired with this idea to help promote HIPPY,” said Audrey Anderson. Anderson’s grandson Cason Hughes is a 2015 CSLC HIPPY graduate and is doing extremely well in school. She also volunteers when she can.

CSLC HIPPY Advisory Board Acting President Willie McGriggs said the board got excited about their colleague’s idea and began to run with it. “Effective early childhood education is extremely important,” said McGriggs. “What we are doing with the program and this event is preparing for the future today! If we are to prepare for our future today through early childhood education, more help is needed.” During its appreciation of current supporters and partners, the advisory board is also hoping to engage the more community members in supporting this catalyst for educational change in Holmes County’s own backyard.

HIPPY is an evidence-based program that works with families of three-, four- and five-year-olds in the home to support parents in their critical role as their child’s first and most influential teacher. An international model, HIPPY began in Holmes County in 2010 under the CSLC Mississippi – Parent Information Resource Center (MS-PIRC). Those grant funds ended, and the program has basically been relying on donations and mini-grants from businesses, individuals, and partnerships with other local entities. In-house research has discovered that CSLC HIPPY graduates are successfully and continually perform in the upper 90th percentile of their class in school.

“We are grateful to our supporters, partners, and to our CSLC HIPPY Advisory Board for their efforts and concern for our children’s future,” said CSLC Executive Director Beulah Greer. “CSLC is also extremely excited to be partnering with CDI Head Start this year in piloting the HIPPY model to some of its Holmes County Head Start students. We hope we can continue to do so going forward.”

Key activities include: An early childhood education presentation by retired educator Sherri Reeves, a recitation by HIPPY scholars, a video, a parent testimonial, a community call to action, and an appreciation presentation, followed by a meet, greet, and networking reception in the adjacent area. Please call (662) 834-0905 if you plan to attend.