Michigan Embraces the National
Early Childhood Campaign: Born Learning
Bob Parks, The
United Way, July 12, 2005
The United Way, the Ad Council, and Civitas have joined forces to create a
$90 million, three year, national public engagement campaign called Born
Learning. The campaign will help parents and caregivers give pre-school
children the best start in life.
The campaign has been tailored in Michigan through a statewide, toll-free
number to give tips, tools, and information to state parents and
caregivers. That toll-free number is 1-888-232-4376 (BE-A-HERO).
Michiganians will see media advertising on TV, radio, and billboards and
in newspapers and magazines. This public information campaign builds on
the $4 million "Be their Hero from age Zero" media effort by the Michigan
Ready to Succeed Partnership. That campaign used the same toll-free
number.
Instrumental to Born Learning's efforts are local United Ways of Michigan.
They will work closely with intermediate school districts to excite
parents to get information and provide them with excellent resources.
"Born Learning will inform parents of what they can do to get their
children ready for Kindergarten," says Chris Nelson, President, Michigan
Association of United Ways
The ambitious, public service ad campaign was launched in Washington, D.C.
this spring and rolls out this summer in Michigan. Born Learning will stir
parents to think of ways to stimulate brain and intellectual development,
particularly early reading skills, among children at the youngest years.
Co-chairs of the Michigan Ready To Succeed Partnership, Paul Hillegonds
and Hubert Price say: "Workforce preparedness in Michigan starts at birth.
Half of state kindergartners come to school unprepared for schooling. Too
much of elementary school teaching has to be remedial for many children
who have not been read to and been nurtured in early literacy and
arithmetic. Many stay behind through secondary schools.
Anyone can play a role in preparing children for school. People can get
many tips, tools, and information on the national website
www.bornlearning.org.
