Great Parents, Great Start

Imagine over 200 parents, caregivers, infants, toddlers and preschoolers gathered with their neighbors at a nearby school.  In small groups they are guided by one of 60 health and human service agency volunteers.  They eat dinner together and rotate through fun learning activities featuring nutrition, infant massage, literacy tips, reading demonstrations, homemade crafts and games, health screenings, and community resources.  Repeatedly they say, I never knew about that.

Thanks to new grant funding provided to the Muskegon Area Intermediate School District through the Michigan Department of Education, the Hero Party described above is a reality!  It is a celebration of the hard work done everyday by parents and caregivers (otherwise known as heroes) of young children.   Hero Parties are FREE and open to all with children five and younger.  Older children are also welcome to come along.

Hero parties are just one of several collaborative initiatives underway in the local community as part of Governor Granholm's "Project Great Start" which focuses on serving parents of children ages zero to five.  The Great Parents, Great Start Muskegon Grant is meant to improve school readiness, support families, encourage early literacy, and reduce the need for special education services by encouraging positive parenting skills.

For more information contact:

Kristin Tank, MAISD Public Information Coordinator at
231-767-7263, ktank@muskegonisd.org or

Wendy Pulte, Great Parents, Great Start Project Coordinator,
231-767-7282 at wpulte@muskegonisd.org