Investing Early in Our Children

Dr. T. Berry Brazelton is being honored as a Champion of Change for his commitment to delivering on the promise of Head Start in his community, helping to educate and care for our youngest, most vulnerable children. 

I am proud to be honored as a White House Champion of Change and thrilled to share this distinction with the men and women who put Head Start to work for all of our children every day. I want to thank President Obama and his administration for this recognition, and for doing so much for babies and young children. Nearly 50 years ago, I collaborated with Head Start’s founding fathers, Ed Zigler and Julius Richmond, to help build a comprehensive early education program giving every child a chance to make the American Dream come true, for that child, and for all of us. Today, thanks to the Obama administration, more children than ever are participating in Head Start, fulfilling the bipartisan vision backed by Republican and Democratic administrations alike. Science has shown that, as a result, these children will be significantly more likely to graduate from high school, enter college, stay out of trouble, join a globally competitive workforce, and serve as contributive members of our society.

Engaging Children and Families in Building a Stronger America

Roxanne Hiller is being honored as a Champion of Change for her commitment to delivering on the promise of Head Start in her community, helping to educate and care for our youngest, most vulnerable children. 

It is a great honor to be recognized as a Champion of Change for providing high quality services to children and families enrolled in the Head Start Program. I’ve committed myself to engaging children and families in constructing a stronger foundation both educationally and emotionally to better assist in building a stronger America.

As a teacher trying to establish our future with the ability to embrace children’s love of learning and spark an interest in school, I’ve prided myself on individualizing for each student and finding a way to reach out to all children and their different development levels. I use a variety of curricula that promote higher levels of literacy and vocabulary. I provide hands on experiences, active participation and learning opportunities for each child, building a solid foundation of school readiness skills that sets them up for success throughout their school years.

Supporting Children Through an Educational Journey

Angelica Vilaverda is being honored as a Champion of Change for her commitment to delivering on the promise of Head Start in her community, helping to educate and care for our youngest, most vulnerable children. 

As a teacher in the Early Head Start community, I am honored to be a White House Champion of Change. As I reflect upon my service in my community and what it means to me to be an Early Head Start teacher at Educare Arizona, I realize that it all began with my passion for children at a very young age. My passion was recognized in the fourth grade. I arrived promptly each day to tend to my morning duty of escorting children in wheelchairs to their classroom. All I remember my mother saying was, “She will be a great teacher one day.” My journey in Head Start began in November 2009 as a teacher for the Early Head Start Center-Based program. I knew how to support the play of children and how to conduct developmental assessments, but was unaware of the astounding impact the children and families would have on my work. Working with low-income, at-risk families brought some challenges my way but what drew me in as an Early Head Start teacher was listening to their stories and using parents as a key instrument in their child’s successful educational journey.