Great Start Collaborative of Berrien County

Asset #12: School Boundaries
Assets are 40 key building blocks of development that help youth grow up healthy. The more assets youths have, the more likely they are to succeed. Fifty-three percent of youth surveyed by Search Institute had the Safety asset in their lives.

Parents and Schools Setting Limits
Together
The principal of Highline Community School in Colorado believes in assets. David Fisher walks his talk and acts as a role model for good behavior. He expanded the idea of the school’s “bullyproofing” program so that it went from violence reduction to encompassing the idea that everyone is responsible for the health of the school. Students are now respected for their strengths and consulted for their input. The result is fewer violence incidents.

See GS Newsletter - May edition for details.

The Great Start Collaborative

Why Early Childhood?

Michigan’s future economic strength and global competiveness depend on how well we prepare Michigan’s young children today for school readiness and life success.

Although Michigan’s economy appears to be getting better, these still are hard times to be young in Michigan. The state’s youngest residents - those ages 0 to 5 - face daunting challenges at a time when their foundation for the future is being built.

See GS Newsletter - May edition for details.

Lieutenant Governor Signs Autism Bill

It’s been years in the making and as the Lieutenant Governor signed the bill, the room breathed a collective sigh of relief.

“It’s going to help families be able to access therapies and treatments that they haven’t in the past,” said Scott Koenighsknect, a father of an autistic child. Scott Koenighsknect and all of the families dealing with autism know too well the cost of treating autism. “Everything about autism is designed to destroy families, many families enter bankruptcy, the divorce rate is over 80 percent.”

See GS Newsletter - May edition for details.

Parenting Education Survey

Dear Berrien County parents, The Great Start Collaborative is collecting data on the desire and the need for parenting education classes from the parents of our community. Please visit the below link to complete this very short survey to help the Great Start Collaborative learn about the needs and wants of our county’s parents.

Survey Link:
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/ZGZ62BG

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up-to-date information and activities!

Parent & Child Activity Calendar
Make sure to check out our Parent & Child Activity Calendar - you will find lots of great activities to share with you child.
> Parent & Child Activity Calendar

Dates to Remember . . .

MAY 3, 2012 | Parenting Education Committee Meeting; 11:30 am; Berrien RESA

MAY 11, 2012 | Head Start Fun Fair; 9:30 am - 12:00 pm; Berrien County Youth Fair Grounds

MAY 16, 2012 | Virtual Star Power - Wear Yellow to Show Your Support of Early Childhood

MAY 18, 2012 | Parents as Teachers Party in the Park; 10:00 am - 1:00 pm; Feather Park— Berrien Springs

MAY 22, 2012 | Great Start Parent Coalition Meeting; 5:30 pm - 7:30 pm; Stevensville United Methodist Church

A Special Thank You….

The Great Start Parent Coalition would like to say thank you to Representative Al Pscholka for joining us for an early childhood discussion in March. Representative Pscholka listened to parents as they discussed the importance of investing in early childhood and the significance of what passing the autism insurance bill would mean for families dealing with autism.

What is the Great Start Collaborative?

The Great Start Collaborative of Berrien County is a partnership of community leaders, business owners, charitable and faithbased organizations, health and human service agencies, educators, and parents. It is committed to establishing and maintaining a network of county-wide supports and services that work together to achieve better results for young children and families. The Collaborative engages community partners in the planning and coordination of services, addresses the factors that influence a child’s readiness for school and life, promotes community awareness of early childhood issues and advocates for quality early childhood programs and services.

Simply put . . .
We want to make sure that every child under the age of five living in Berrien County gets everything they need to be safe, healthy, and successful -- period.

Great Start Collaborative of Berrien County ~ 711 St. Joseph Avenue ~ Berrien Springs, MI 49103 ~ 269-471-7725 ext. 1270

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