OCTOBER 10 -16,1984 THE CITIZEN PAGE NINE
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By ImI Green
Start with a imple idea,
dd a dash of imagination,
tir in a measure of dedicat
ion, pour in community
involvement., That's the recipe
for one of the most uccessful
programs ever created. The
mixture is called Head Start
and few program have earned,
or de erved, more praise and
recognition.
The Head Sta Program
which is no beginning its
twentieth year, was launched
in 1965. It is a federally
funded comprehensive develop
mental pre-school program.
Head Start's purpose is to adi
3-5 year oids and their familie
to. achieve their fulle t po
tential.
The uskegon Oceana Com
munity Action Against Poverty
Inc., adminsters funds for
fourteen centers in Mu egon
and Oceana Counties. They
re located in Egleston, Fruit
port, u kegon, M egon
Height , R venn , Reeths Puf-
phy ical, mental, social and
emotional growth. Som
example of these are: coo
ing activities, field trips num
b r grarnes, If-help kills,
involvement in the art , lan
guage and speech ctivi ie .
The curriculum. al 0
develop activities to educate
children to th cultural
characteristics and ethnic dif!
ferences of various people,
pl ces, and communities.
But Head Start is also more
than the things. It is atch
in the genuine glow in a
child's eye as he or she dis
co r the world around them;
th fruit of independence you
rt to growing in a
youn ,life; the tounding
. zation th t th "thing H
n e • eryd y have name;
th rtfelt pride demon-
tr t d in 'feat" ccompli h
d: tunc nditional tolerance
d pt e of their fellow-
i1dren innocently
d th abundant
with the
unlearned.
irrepl ceabl nuggets of
ld re I 0 what Heat Start
about.
Muskegon and Oc an oun-
tie. She i marri d to rritt
Lene r and re id t 10 3
William Street in the city
of M eon. th
mother of four
daugh er and
God-children.
Mr. Lene r has or ed
in the Head Start program for
a period of thirteen year.
She is former Head Start
parent who has had three
of er five children in atten
dance in the program. She
started in Head Start as a
volunteer then was hired as
Parent Coordinator. She work
ed in' this position for three
years and was then promoted
to Head Start Director.
Some of Mrs. Lenear's
other accomplishments are as
follows: She as chairperson
of the State Head Start Dire
ctors Association for three
years; ational Head Start
Representative for the State
of Michigan; currently repre-
ntative-at-Iarge for the Head
ciation:
t t
IRE EGREEN
'pre
Ie
cl
ly
fer, Holton, Walkerville, and
Shelby. There are two dele
gate agencies in the Mu egon
Public School system and the
Whitehall School district.
Locally, the dynamic wo
man who heads the Head
Start program is Maxine
Lenear. She effectively leads
a large, competent staff that
renders services to children
and their families' throughout
experiences
in the hom
There are al opportuniti
fora group experience for the
children on regular b is.
All experiences and activi
ties are geared to promote
th W 0
political proc ... ��
volv
th
Discu one at dinner each
night.
ead the
T e part in eeti . Help
youths to understand your local
government. Schools board and
local units of government old
meetings. Take young people
to part of a meeting if an issue
that they can relate to i being
discussed (changes in school
rules, bike path , building a teen
center or pool, etc.).
Write lette . When your
child feels strongly about an
issue and has had a chance to
think out and talk out his-her
po itlon, encourage and facili
tate his-her writing a letter to
the appropriate official. Help
the child to understand that
one letter will not effect the
desired change, but that our
elected official need to hear
from all of us.
Today' children will become
more cti e and involved citizens
adults if they tart learning
no about the political process
and ho to affect it.
Parents should not depend
on an occasional school citizen
ship cl to develop the neces
sary awareness and confidence.
Building that awareness is a long
proces. Here are orne ways
famille can interact together
to foster interest and a sen
of responsibility and po ibility
for citizen involvement.
T ut·. Elemen-
t ry- ge children and teen can
become intensely intere ted in
u that may affect their
future or that deal ith dis-
crimination and . industice.
State your own opinion but
lso try to explain the vie s of
the opposing ide. Encourage
them to que tion why people
behave in certain ways.
U cartoo. Political car-
toon from magazines and news
papers are an excellent tarting
point for discussion with junior
high and high school students.
Briggs fight
strok_
children will benefit from read
ing the newspaper and listening
to new programs. Follow-up
discussion is very important.
Camp . . vol ment. If
you are involved· in any kind
of campaign (on an issue or
supporting a 'candidate), let your
child also play an active role.
School-age children can do an
excellent job of helping to
distribute leaflets and stuff en
velopes. It will help them feel
that they have played a signi
ficant part.
Group invoJ ement. If you
are working with any kind of
youth group, incorporate infor
mation about the governmental
proce. Thi is particularly
important at election time.
Groups such the League of
Women Voters have some quiz
zes, skits and demonstrations
that could be· useful. Check
with your C unty Extension
office for 4-H citizenship
material .
'7be Lord h
old, . t
Cora Bri our community.
lie' in the I.C.U. at H
are for don io
to help him and hl fam
out," the committee '.
CHARLES BRIGGS
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EDELL N. DAVIS, JR.
1186 FifTH STREET
MUSKEGON.MI49440
ATIORNEY
AT LAW
TY STO
733- 9 9
LI
61 E. CE TER ST.
Muskegon Hts.
(ACROSS FRO HEIGHTS CITY HAI-L)
GENERAl PRACTITIONER
8AN<AUPTCY. DEEDS. lLS.
CONl'AACTS. ONORCE. fIE
Y. WOAKMAN'S COMPENSATION
BUSINESS PHON: 816-726-6555