Imagine 10,000 letters being delivered to President Obama at the White House to thank him for his bold proposal on expanding pre-k across the country.
That’s the project that the National Women’s Law Center is working on, encouraging early education advocates to write to the president. Center officials say they want to let the president know that he was heard. The center will pick a date to deliver the letters and take pictures of the event. Willing writers can submit their letters here.
“The President’s plan does three incredibly important things,” the law center explains here. “It expands voluntary home visiting programs that support and educate parents, increases availability of high-quality child care for infants and toddlers and gives all children in low- and moderate-income families access to high-quality prekindergarten programs.”
Now that the word is out, the project has grown bigger. Letters and artwork made by children, parents and providers have been pouring in from around the country. The delivery to the White House is likely to include closer to 30,000 letters – as well as some ambitious art projects, including a four-foot tall dream catcher.
“You know who is excited about this plan?” the center’s blog says of the letters project, “KIDS (and their parents who understand just how important early learning experiences are to their future success)!” In addition to saying thank you, one note from a child asked for the chance to play basketball with president. Another note asked for a playdate with the president’s daughters, Sasha and Malia.
“As a working/single mother of two young boys,” one woman wrote, “I want to share my heartfelt appreciation of your support of early learning.”
Some thank yous are being shared on the law center’s Facebook page along with hundreds of “Likes.”
Support for the letters project is also coming from other organizations, including MomsRising.org, the Vermont Early Childhood Alliance and Jumpstart.
Obama’s pre-k proposal will have to be funded by Congress in order to become a reality. Supporters can pledge to contact their senators and congressional representatives to remind them the country has a chance to make huge advances in preschool education. Massachusetts readers, contact your leaders in Congress today and urge them to support the president’s pre-k plan.
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