Inaugural Speakers Forum
April 19, 2010Investing in Early Childhood Development: Planting the Seeds for our Economic Future Nearly 300 of the state's community and business leaders, educators and legislators attended the Foundation's Inaugural Speakers Luncheon in Charleston. The event's keynote, Geoffrey Canada, President and CEO of the Harlem Children's Zone, spoke about the success of the Harlem Children's Zone and how inner-cities and rural Appalachia share amny of the same challenges with regard to early childhood development, and how initiatives that he has implemented in Harlem can be successfully adapted in West Virginia. First Lady Gayle Manchin and Senator Rockefeller also provided remarks regarding the importance of education and early childhood development and initiatives at the state and federal levels. The Foundation hosted a roundtable discussion with West Side Community Leaders following the luncheon to develop strategies to promote education and early childhood development on Charleston's West Side. "In West Virginia, every dollar invested in early childhood education has a return of approximately five times its value. This is an enormously meaningful investment in our communities and our economy. But more than that -- it's the right thing to do for all children," Rockefeller said.
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