Recent News / Blog

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.

BAY COUNTY, Fla. (WMBB) — The Early Learning Coalition of Northwest Florida wants to make sure parents know about their free Help Me Grow program.

Help Me Grow Northwest Florida is a free developmental screening service for children under 8 who live in Bay, Calhoun, Gulf, Holmes, Jackson, and Washington counties.

“Developmental screenings are very convenient, they’re easy; they shouldn’t take more than 25 minutes,” said Alyssa Gray, Special Programs Manager for the Early Learning Coalition of Northwest Florida. “About once a year, a parent should check on their child’s development.”

Through a simple-to-use questionnaire, families can measure growth and take the necessary steps to ensure that their child’s developmental needs are being met.

“We work with the parent to empower them to continue to advocate for their children in the system, but we want to make sure the system is easier to access,” said Gray.

To access the development screening and learn more about the program, click here.