Hopkins-Locke Assistant Teacher Maria de Los Santos planned to keep learning after completing her apprenticeship in her son’s classroom in 2023. Maria has now earned her Child Development Associate, the foundational credential for her career in early childhood education.

Lack of transportation has kept Jessa’lyn Milton from accepting job offers in her field. That’s about to change thanks to her purchase of a 2013 Ford Explorer through the By Car program.

Firelands Head Start’s newest student has a bright future in milk production. Peony also weighs about three times as much as the average preschooler even though she is the youngest member of the class. The class has adopted Peony the dairy calf through the free Discover Dairy Program. “The program is so fun and educational, Discover Dairy will send out emails to the teachers giving them activities and virtual tours to learn more about cows,” said Stacy Hall, the class’s Early Childhood Service Worker.

For several years, Lucy Miranda worked with long-term care residents at Anchor Lodge in Lorain. After COVID, she needed a change. Today she tells children every day that they are beautiful, smart and loved.