Early care and education systems play a crucial role in children’s development. However, systemic barriers, from funding shortages to cultural and language challenges, disproportionately affect children of color and those from low-income backgrounds. To spotlight the transformative efforts addressing these challenges, the W.K. Kellogg Foundation (WKKF) has partnered with award-winning actor Tyler James Williams. As part of this campaign, we’re proud to feature two videos: Battle Creek’s Answer to Kindergarten Readiness, highlighting the Kindergarten Success Program’s impressive growth in Battle Creek, Michigan, and New Mexico’s Headstart: A Journey of Education, Culture, and Equity, which delves into the Headstart program’s mission in New Mexico.

The initiative was launched at the 2023 Essence Festival of Culture, marked by an insightful onstage conversation between Williams and WKKF President and CEO La June Montgomery Tabron. Throughout the summer, WKKF and Williams will amplify the voices of early child care and education advocates, sharing their challenges and efforts to provide equitable learning opportunities for children across the country.