Local News from Alignment Nashville

Every child deserves a healthy start in life.
A child who starts life healthy is more likely to succeed in school and in life. Young mothers need access to services that help them have a healthy pregnancy, keep them in school, and care for their infants. That's why the Healthy Starts Committee is creating a network of organizations that provide services for pregnant and parenting teens. These programs, collectively, should provide a myriad of services - prenatal medical care, post-partum mother/child care, academic support services, social-emotional support, and counseling services. The end result will be that young mothers are completing their high school educations and are supported in their future successes, and that children are entering the world healthy and being cared for by a system of care givers.If you would like to learn more about this effort, please plan to join us for a Community Meeting on Wednesday, April 8th at 10:00 am at the Lentz Public Health Center Auditorium (311 23rd Ave North). RSVP to Bob Teague (bob.teague@nashville.gov).


Summer Youth EmploymentPaid Summer Work Experience Program
Youth between ages of 14-24 who are low income, and have one or more of the following barriers (All barriers must be documented.): Deficient in basic literacy skills, School dropout, homeless, runaway or foster child Pregnant or parenting Offender An individual (including a youth with a disability) who requires additional assistance to complete an educational program, or to secure and hold employment. All pre-applications must be submitted to the Nashville Career Advancement Center


"Prepared to Learn"
How all children can reach grade level by 3rd grade
Tuesday, April 21 - Nashville Downtown Hilton
This event will address the impact that effective early childhood education can have on K-12 and workforce preparedness outcomes. The featured speaker is Lynn Fielding, chair of the school board in Kennewick, Washington, and author (with two of his fellow school board members) of Annual Growth, Catch-Up Growth. Under Fielding's leadership, the Kennewick school district decided to tackle the issue of reading proficiency, and went from 57% of children reading at grade level by 3rd grade to 90%+ at grade level in around 10 years. We hope you will be able to attend. Click on their website: http://www.education-consumers.org/prek.htm for more information and for questions call: 704-940-3201 or send e-Mail to Brett@education-consumers.org.