State Representative Shaw Blackmon is heading back to Pre-K at the Central Georgia Technical College Child Development Center on October 2, 2018 to celebrate Georgia Pre-K Week. There he will read a favorite children’s book.
 
State Representative Blackmon joins hundreds of other state, business and community leaders, including Governor Nathan Deal and First Lady Sandra Deal, across the state will who visit Pre-K centers to witness early learning in action and read a favorite children’s book to the young learners.
 
Now in its eighth year, Georgia Pre-K Week raises awareness for the importance of quality early childhood education.  Georgia’s Pre-K Program was the brainchild of Governor Zell Miller in 1992 and has grown from serving 750 children in its first year to approximately 81,000 annually.
 
“We are so excited to have Representative Blackmon visit our center to show our children that their community cares about their education,” said Linda Smith, CGTC director of Child Development Centers. “The enthusiasm and support we receive from leaders across the state not only makes the children and staff feel good, it also reminds us all how important it is to value quality early learning so that children can be ready to succeed in school and life.”
 
Representative Blackmon will be at CGTC’s Child Development Center from approximately 9:30 a.m. until about 10:30 a.m., October 2, 2018. The Center is located on the College’s Warner Robins campus at 80 Cohen Walker Dr., Warner Robins, Ga. 31088.  In addition to reading to the children, Representative Blackmon will tour the facility, talk with the staff, and get an up-close look at the many ways that the center is supporting early learning.
 
“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.