During a May 31 Early Childhood Symposium in Williamsburg, a gathering of nearly 200 public and private early education stakeholders across the Northern Neck and Upper, Middle, and Lower Peninsulas, Smart Beginnings Virginia Peninsula, the lead agency for Ready Region Chesapeake Bay, revealed its new name, FirstSpark.
Following that announcement, keynote speaker Ann Macheras, Group Vice President for the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond, addressed why the need for early childhood education is a community-wide issue that matters to everyone.
“Employers in our region are looking for consistency in approaches and outcomes for early childhood education, because the members of their future workforce will likely come from the neighborhoods and communities in Ready Region Chesapeake Bay,” said Mike Petters, retired President and CEO of Huntington Ingalls Industries. “All business leaders understand the importance of return on investment, and there’s no greater ROI [Return On Investment] than ...