Head Start Story: By Lisa Price

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In 1967, my mother enrolled me in Head Start at 3 years old. I loved the environment, the teachers, socialization and field trips! After that first year ended, I was more social, and began putting letters together to spell words. I started reading simple books at 4 years of age. My love for learning began in Head Start. Though I was born to a teen mother, she instilled the importance of learning and supported my school experiences at home. Years later, I remember accompanying my grandmother to the Head Start program in her community where she worked as a cook. I got to help the students, reading and playing with them. Head Start matters; it is where I started and where I will stay. Head Start is a part of me!

Now, I serve as the program governance coordinator at Community Action Partnership of Kern Head Start. I thoroughly enjoy the interactions I have with parents and exposing them to leadership opportunities and seeing them grow from hesitantly participating as a Regional Parent Committee member to becoming a member and holding a position on the Policy Council Executive Board. These parents gain knowledge of the ins and outs of the program and are a part of the shared decision making process in key areas along with our Board of Directors. Through this powerful tool, I have seen several parents gain the confidence to attend school, enter the workforce and advocate for their children in ways they didn’t know they could. I am proud to be a part of a program that empowers parents with the necessary tools for today, tomorrow and the future of their family. Download the flier of this story.