Recent News / Blog

PANAMA CITY, Fla. (WJHG/WECP) – Chase Christianson, the CEO of HCA Gulf Coast Hospital, has been appointed by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis to the Early Learning Coalition of Northwest Florida.

This organization focuses on educating children before kindergarten and providing parents with the resources needed to support their children’s early education.

Christianson, who previously served as the chief executive officer of Parham Doctors’ Hospital, brings valuable experience to his new role. He emphasized the importance of education in building future generations.

“If you want to think about building the next generation and impacting our community on generations on end, it really starts with education,” Christianson said. “Any social perspective of life, if you have a strong foundation in education, you’ve got an opportunity to be successful going forward and having a positive impact on your future families, on the communities around you and the neighbors you live, work, and play by.”

Christianson will serve as the chair of the Early Learning Coalition, leveraging his leadership and expertise to advance early childhood education initiatives in the region.

PANAMA CITY, Fla. (WJHG/WECP) – As many parents know, raising children is a lot of work, and sometimes people struggle. The Early Learning Collation of Northwest Florida joined up with Goshen Ministries to offer parents an opportunity to find support.

From 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, parents gathered at the Goshen Evangelic Ministries center in Panama City for the event.

There was a designated kids’ room for the children to eat and do activities while the parents gathered in a separate room. The parents sat in groups together and were given prompted questions to discuss, such as who they are as a person and about their families. The discussion then focused on the challenges that each individual faces in day-to-day life.

Event organizers said having a safe space for parents to talk about their struggles is important.

”There was a need for this across the country and we’re part of Help Me Grow National, we have Help Me Grow Northwest Florida here and the parent cafes are part of that program. The goal of all that is to give parents a space to learn from each other, talk to each other,” Brooke Powell, a communications specialist with the Early Learning Collation of Northwest Florida. “Everything that they say in that room is confidential and it’s a judgment-free zone and just to be able to share the struggles that they face that are the same struggles that we all face as parents.”

Powell said they want to give parents more opportunities to have these safe spaces, so they will be holding more Parent Cafes.

The Washington County School District held a We Are Community family fun event on May 4 from 10 a.m. -noon at Vernon High School.

The event was held to help strengthen communication and engagement between parents and teachers so students can benefit.  

Melissa Brock’s music students from Vernon Elementary School were the featured entertainment and showcased their talent by utilizing new instruments purchased from the Early Childhood Music Education Incentive Grant Program.

Vendors were there to inform the community of the services they offer. Participating this year were The Red Cross, Early Learning Coalition of Northwest Florida, Legal Services of NW Florida, Life Management Center’s Mobile Response Team (MRT), Vernon Public Library, Take Stock in Children, Art of Manhood Mentorship Organization, the mental health team of the Washington County School District, and Shepherd’s Gate Church.

Speaker Dr. Donna Austin addressed the parents and provided training packets to educate them on ways to help educate their children with everyday activities and how to effectively communicate with teachers and administrators.  

Several families won door prizes donated by the Washington County School District. 

The Early Learning Coalition of Northwest Florida (ELCNWF) announced the launch of its Community Survey, aimed at gathering insights into the prevalent and critical issues faced by residents, service providers, businesses, and families in the region.

In a news release, ELCNWF said they “recognize the importance of understanding the diverse needs and concerns of the community it serves.” The survey has been commissioned to gain a comprehensive view of the challenges and priorities of Northwest Florida’s families, with the ultimate goal of better serving the region’s youngest learners.

“We want to hear from everyone who represents the broad interests of our region,” said Suzan Gage, executive director of the Early Learning Coalition of Northwest Florida. “This includes businesses, individuals serving those in need, government representatives, families, and educators. By sharing their perspectives, participants will help shape the future of early childhood education and development in Northwest Florida.”

The survey covers topics ranging from participants’ vision for the community to their current needs and top priorities for the region. By gathering this data, ELCNWF aims to make informed decisions that will effectively and efficiently meet the needs of Northwest Florida’s youngest learners in the years to come.

“We encourage everyone to take part in this survey and to share it with their friends, family, and colleagues,” said Gage. “The more voices we hear, the better equipped we will be to address the challenges and opportunities facing Northwest Florida.”

The survey, accessible at https://www.research.net/r/NV9VC6F, will remain open until May 12.

PANAMA CITY, Fla. (WMBB) — Some local veterans are doing their part to make life better for area children.

The American Legion Post 393 partnered with The Crawfish Kings Friday evening for their first-ever crawfish boil and bike ride.

They hoped to raise around $2,000 for the Early Learning Coalition of Northwest Florida.

The money will go to fund reading, mental health, and inclusion programs for children up to the age of 5.

Early Learning Coalition Communications and Development Director Tami Valdez says this event will really help the kids.

“This is new for us, but we’re happy to get any support that we can get and the recognition for early learning,” Valdez said. “It’s such an important thing to make sure our children are ready to learn when they hit kindergarten and any community support we can get is wonderful.”

The groups are already planning for the second annual crawfish boil next April.

PANAMA CITY, Fla. (WMBB) — The Early Learning Coalition of Northwest Florida received a big donation that will help young kids in the area with their education.

The St. Joe Community Foundation donated $96,000 to the coalition to help prepare kids for kindergarten.

They’ve been partners with the coalition for several years, and St. Joe’s donations help them improve and provide services such as School Readiness, Voluntary Pre-Kindergarten, and literacy coaching. Early Learning Coalition officials say these services make a big difference in children’s academic growth.

“Donations and partnerships like this really set our youngest learners up for success later on in life. Studies show that they’re more likely to graduate, they’re less likely to have negative behaviors, and they’re socially ready to tackle a lifelong journey of learning,” Early Learning Coalition of Northwest Florida Communications Specialist Brooke Powell said.

For more information on the Early Learning Coalition of Northwest Florida, click here.

LYNN HAVEN, Fla. (WMBB) – On Friday, preschoolers at the Hawks Nest Learning Tree in Lynn Haven put their hands to work, making their hands. Each child created a work of art, depicting their own hand.

The initiative is called “Painting of the Hands” organized by the early learning coalition of Northwest Florida.

All of the kid’s work is heading to Tallahassee where they will hang in the Capitol Rotunda, reminding legislators to remember Florida’s littlest citizens.

“The number one thing is making sure that we’re getting the support that the children need and the child care centers need. Whether it be for mental health or anything along the lines of any kind of support the children need, it all kind of goes back to the centers. So and ELC and making sure the coalitions being able to provide that support for us,” Bay County director and owner Jaimie Young said.

More than 25 kids participated in the project on Friday.

Learn more about the initiative here.