By Kirstin Q. Siemering, DrPH, RD
Here on the Improving Population Health blog, we recognize the important role that education plays in health outcomes. Earlier this year, David Kindig encouraged business sector investments in early childhood education as a means for improving the health of tomorrow’s workforce. And back in September, our “Eye On Pop Health” series focused on higher education, paying special attention to the need for community college reform.
This month, we’re celebrating the end of one impressive early learning initiative and the start of another. The Pew Center on the States’ ambitious, 10-year Pre-K Now campaign will end on December 31, 2011. The campaign’s goal, which was to advance high quality, voluntary pre-kindergarten for all three- and four-year old, hit many milestones as it worked toward transforming U.S. education from a K-12 system to a Pre-K-12 system. And last Friday, Domestic Policy Council Director Melody Barnes joined Education Secretary Arne Duncan and Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius to announce $500 million in grants to nine state winners of the Race to the Top Early Learning Challenge to spur improvement in early childhood education programs.
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