By Tina Firquain

Staff Writer

The SE Head Start brands SE not just for the young at heart, but the young in age too.

This 4-year-old program is sponsored by Big Five and the Durant Public School system.

According to bigfive.org, “Big Five is involved in a wide variety of programs” like the head start program.

The program is meant to be “a comprehensive child care program providing quality services for children and their families.

“Head Start provides for the emotional needs of every child on an individual basis and strives to identify and provide for any learning disability before the child enters public school,” according to bigfive.org.

SE owns the building the head start runs out of, but the university charges no rent and also takes care of the grounds.

The program is run by three women. Each employee is Child Development Associate certified. There is one teacher, one assistant and one custodian.

Cathey Keirsey, teacher of the program, said the “purpose of the program is to have the children prepared for kindergarten.”

The head start program is for low income families. The program allows a maximum of 20 children to enroll, after which they are put into the Durant Public School system, said Keirsey.

Keirsey also said the program encourages SE students to enroll their children.

The hours and location are meant to be convenient for SE students.

Besides lending the building rent free for the program, SE helps the Head Start in a variety of ways.

Keirsey said the Henry G. Bennet Library supplies some books to the program. During Christmas time, the SE Bookstore adopts the program and holds a book drive for the students.

A big part of the curriculum taught to the children is how to read.

Literacy is an important part of their day, according to Keirsey.

In every station for the children, there are books waiting to be read.

There is even a literacy wall above their reading station, which keeps track of how many books the children have read.

Keirsey said, “If the children read so many books each week, they receive a prize.”

At the end of the school year, a Literacy Banquet is put on for the parents and children to celebrate their achievements.

Keirsey also said the children take home a bag of books each week.

The hope is that the children read while they are at home with their parents.

In order to keep up with the state’s criteria, the head start must have 100 hours of volunteer time a month.

To meet this goal, Keirsey said, anyone is welcome to work with the children.

A few SE education classes work with the head start to help with volunteer hours, and in return students receive grades for their class.

Susan Morrison, assistant professor and coordination of elementary education, sends her students to observe and read to the children for class, said Keirsey.

The program uses those times as a part of their volunteer hours for the month.

Also, Sami Jo Cotton-Black, instructor and assistant women’s basketball coach, brings her recreation leadership class three or four times a year to play games with the children.

Cotton-Black said if any of the students bring their own toys then they have the option of donating.

She said that any toys or games borrowed from SE are not donated because they must be used for other classes as well.

Since anyone is welcome to volunteer, the location and times are convenient for SE students who attend class at the Durant site and feel a need for volunteering.

The facility is located on the corner of Sixth Street and University Boulevard.

It is open Monday through Thursday 7:45 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and Friday 7:45 to noon.