In its efforts to ensure its children are healthier and better prepared for kindergarten and beyond, Simpson County, Mississippi has earned status as an EXCEL BY 5 Candidate Community.
EXCEL BY 5 is an innovative early childhood community certification process, in the state of Mississippi, focusing on a community’s young children. The program emphasizes the important roles parents, early childhood educators, and communities play in educating their children during their most formative years – birth to age five.
“I am excited and proud to say that Simpson County is now, officially, an EXCEL BY 5 Candidate Community,” said Dedra Clark-Allen, student services coordinator for Simpson County School District. “While we have exciting and important work ahead, this is validation that we are, in fact, headed in the right direction to improve the lives of our young children.”
As an EXCEL BY 5 Candidate Community, Simpson County has accepted the challenge of becoming a certified EXCEL BY 5 “child friendly” community, meaning it will support parents and children by connecting them with the available resources and services they need to lead healthy and strong lives.
The initiative is being led by members of the Simpson County Early Childhood Council and EXCEL BY 5 Coalition, a group of community representatives and professionals across Simpson County. On June 8, the Board of Directors of EXCEL BY 5 met to review the group’s application and initial plans for implementation of the program in Simpson County.
During the candidacy period, the Simpson County Early Childhood Council and EXCEL BY 5 Coalition will engage the community and its resources to design and implement sustainable support for young children and families based on identified community needs. Simpson County is one of six communities across the state currently recognized as a candidate community. Upon completion of the process, it will join more than 30 communities as certified EXCEL BY 5 communities. EXCEL BY 5 uses research-based standards as the criteria to determine when a community has earned certification.
“I want to congratulate each member of the Simpson County Early Childhood Council and EXCEL BY 5 Coalition, who has committed to this most critical work,” said Clark-Allen. “Stay tuned for more exciting news and events related to Simpson County’s commitment to ensuring that every child in our county is happy, healthy and ready to start kindergarten.”
Members of the Simpson County Early Childhood Council and EXCEL BY 5 Coalition include: Mara Polk of CMRLS; Vicki Powell of PriorityOne Bank; Sheila Shows of Mrs. Sheila’s Clubhouse; Latoya Burkett of the Pedz Clinic; Amarilys Carter of Magee Family Foot Care; Chan Willis of the Department of Mental Health; Pat Brown of the Simpson County Development Foundation; Tiffany Kinslow of Main Street Realty and the Magee Chamber of Commerce; Alice Green of Magee Public Library; Kathie Ward of Mendenhall Public Library; Anika Floyd of Copiah-Lincoln Community College; and Stan Bulger, Rev. Ralph Walker, Dr. George “Bo” Huffman, Tommy Brumfield, Monroe Allen, Misty Hanna, Romonica Feazell, Dr. Paul Lawrence, Judith Jones, Crystal Brewer, Dr. Derricka Thomas and Dedra Clark-Allen, all of Simpson County School District.
