Jennifer was only 3 when she entered a Head Start program in her native Los Angeles, CA, but she remembers a big, bright classroom, with a dinosaur bookshelf, and a big round table. “Lunch was my favorite part of the day,” she said, describing how everyone sat together in a circle, serving themselves and each other. “Whenever I see the words Head Start, it’s near to my heart,” she told Parent-Child Development Center (PCDC) staff at Community Action of the Franklin, Hampshire and North Quabbin Regions (CAFHNQ).
Her experience is not uncommon among Head Start graduates. In fact, as an intern in an infant-toddler room at PCDC’s Northampton site, Jennifer witnesses the same warmth and encouragement she received from her teachers. Jennifer is currently a Smith College Sophomore pursuing an Education Major, whose love for learning can be traced back to her days in Head Start. She is thrilled to have the opportunity to give back to the program that gave her so much and our staff & students are equally as happy to have her!