Bright from the Start: Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning recently named Valerie Blackmon as Community Coordinator for its Bibb County Early Education Empowerment Zone. 

The E3Zs were selected last year to promote early education system reform initiatives that support better outcomes for young children. Blackmon joins DECAL from Central Georgia Technical College where she served as a Transition Specialist and Accelerating Opportunities Navigator for several counties within CGTC's service delivery area. 

The other E3Zs include Clarke County, a North Georgia Zone serving Catoosa, Murray, Whitfield, Gilmer, and Gordon Counties, and a South Georgia Zone serving Cook, Colquitt, Brooks, Lowndes, and Echols Counties.      

“As the E3Z Community Coordinator for Bibb County, I am excited about my role in building capacity to accomplish ELC project goals; connecting partners to resources that will identify applicable strategies as well as implementation of practices that will create sustainable outcomes for young children,” said Blackmon. 

“Our team's diverse experience of working with children and families is incredibly promising and exciting,” said Laura Wagner, E3Z Director.  “We look forward to leading Early Learning Challenge Grant and community-driven efforts to improve school readiness for young learners in each zone, and we are eager to partner with our co-workers across Georgia.”

Wagner said the first order of business for the E3Zs is to cultivate early childhood education strategies within the Birth to Eight community leadership teams, encourage 100-percent participation in Quality Rated among child care providers, and work with partners to establish home visiting programming within a child care center community hub.