Community members and leaders from around the state are going back to Pre-K as part of Georgia Pre-K Week, an annual event to celebrate the state’s nationally recognized Pre-K program and other quality early learning centers.

Now in its ninth year, Georgia Pre-K Week raises awareness for the importance of quality early childhood education, and community leaders and elected officials commemorate the occasion by visiting Pre-K centers to see early learning in action and read a favorite children’s book to the young learners. Key supporters include various state commissioners, and elected officials. 

Georgia’s Pre-K Program was the brainchild of Governor Zell Miller in 1992 and has now served 80,536 children.  It operates in all of the state’s 159 counties. Georgia is one of only ten states and Washington, D.C. that provide high-quality care to more than 50% of all four-year-olds.

“The broad and diverse base of support from around our state is evidence that Georgia’s leaders care about and understand the long-term impact of quality early learning on each child,” said Dr. Erica Fener Sitkoff, Executive Director of Voices for Georgia’s Children. “Research consistently shows that children entering kindergarten from quality early learning settings are more prepared and ready to learn, which our leaders see first-hand during Pre-K Week.”

Georgia Pre-K Week is organized each year by Voices for Georgia’s Children, a policy and advocacy non-profit organization, with the full support of Bright from the Start: Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning (DECAL). 

Liberty County Pre K is part of the Liberty County School System and has been part of the state Bright From the Start Pre K Program for 25 years.  With 488 students currently enrolled. Liberty County Pre K has 20 Bright From The Start Classes and three Department of Exceptional Learning Classes. Enrollment is free and transportation is provided for students to and from their home. 

Georgia’s General Assembly began a multi year evaluation led by the Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute which found that children enrolled in the Georgia Pre K Program are more prepared for kindergarten compared to four year olds in other forms of care, earn higher grades, show significant growth across all learning domains and retain more of what they learn.  Pretty impressive!