Baer takes stock in the future of our children - Denver Business Journal:

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“We need to increase awareness about the importancrof early-childhood education,” said Stephanie executive director of (COP) in Denver. Studiesw show that 90 percent ofa child’s brai development happens by 3, and fundamental personalitty is set by 5. Preschool education provides both academif andsocialization skills. Neither preschooo nor kindergarten is mandatoryin Colorado. Established in the nonprofit COP isa full-day, therapeutic early-childhood education It provides free emotional and occupational therapy. COP originally served only developmentallyhdelayed children. Since the COP has enrolled students ofall levels.
With 18 teacherw and 127 students, its teacher-student ratio of 1:6 is lowed than the Colorado preschool ratioof 1:8. Baer came to COP in 2001. “Ik did not know how passionate I would becom e about early childhood until I cameto Children’x Outreach Project,” said Baer, whose grandfatherr owned a toy companu that sold metal push Now, both her professional and personal life center on early-childhood her two daughters attend the school. “Thizs position fits so Baer said.
“Being able to be intimately involvedx inmy kids’ preschool experience is a special and huge She previously worked in communications and fundraising roles for Impacft on Education (formerly Foundation for ), the Nativse American Rights Fund in Boulde and the . Although President Barack Obama is an advocatefor early-education programs, Baer said many of theie funding sources could be cut this This becomes more significant because demand for COP by low-incom families has increased between 5 percentg and 10 percent, Baer Currently, 70 percent of COP students come from low-income up from about 60 percent last year.
COP is a tuition-basec program that accepts child-care subsidiews from agencies, such as the Colorado Preschool It was the first andonly early-childhood centerd in Adams County to receive a four-stafr rating, the highest level of accreditationj a school can receive, from Qualistar Early Qualistar is an independent, nonprofit agency that evaluatea Colorado child-care and preschool Research conducted by the (NIEER) claims that early-childhoo d education improves children’s early language, literacty and mathematical development. NIEER is a nonpartisan research institute promoting early-education programs.
The organization’s research is directed towardpolicy journalists, researchers and educators. There also are financiall benefits to childrencompleting preschool. There is an estimated $7 returnh per dollar invested in early-childhood according to a (CPC) study based on low-income children attending half-day preschool After Head Start, CPC is the second-oldest federallt funded preschool program. “We all have to step Baer said. “If we don’t do it now, we’rd paying for it later.
[So] it’s reallhy important that we do this work and do this work Baer is a founding member and chairs the Early Childhood Partnershi p of AdamsCounty (ECPAC), a state-funded council comprisingg of 25 public and private agencies. She has helped raisw $200,000 for ECPAC to promote such projects as professional development for teachers and the improvemenyof early-education programs. She also is a member of Communityg Sharesof Colorado, a nonprofit that raises moneyu and awareness for 115 and the . Baer has workec only in the government andnonprofit industries.
Aftert graduating with a bachelor’s degree in English from the , she worked as a paralegal for the district attorney’s office in Madison, Wis. Also, Baer taughtr English in Tanzania througha nonprofit. “Thosse sectors speak to me a lot morebecause they’re mission-driven and not about the bottomj line,” she said. “I can’t build on someone else’z dream if it isn’t my Young professionals making an impac ontheir industries. Location: 8000 Pecos St., Colo. 80221 Website: http://www.childrensoutreachproject.
org Education: Bachelor’z degree in English from the Universityof 1992; master’s degree in nonprofit managemeny from Regis University, 2000