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RICHMOND, Va., April 1, 2019 /PRNewswire/ — St. Andrew’s School will host Cradle to Career: Equity and Social Justice in Early Childhood Education as part of their Carol Wingo Dickinson Thought Leaders Series on April 11 at The Woman’s Club at The Historic Bolling Haxall House at 7:00 p.m. This community conversation will explore how the greater Richmond area can improve outcomes for youth by focusing on the issues of race, equity, and access in early childhood education.
“Over the last five years, the greater Richmond community has suffered from a marked decline in the availability of high-quality early childhood preschool programs because of closures. It is undeniable that access to high-quality education at a young age sets the tone for future successes,” says Dr. Cynthia Weldon-Lassiter, head of school at St. Andrew’s School. “This program will explore how our community can work together to advocate for our youth and ensure equitable educational opportunities.”
Speakers will include Kathy Glazer, president of the Virginia Early Childhood Foundation, and Dr. Beatrice Fennimore, an education professor at Indiana University of Pennsylvania. There will be a panel discussion moderated by head of school Cyndy Weldon-Lassiter. The panel will include Fennimore; Dr. Andrew Daire, the dean of Virginia Commonwealth University’s School of Education; Dr. Kate O’Donnell, the principal at St. Andrew’s, and Mrs. Q’Sheka Banks, a family member of St. Andrew’s School.
Carol Wingo Dickinson was a lifelong community servant who, along with her family, supported the St. Andrew’s School community for almost 20 years. Through the years, Carol served as a Lunch Buddies volunteer, joined the Board of Directors in 2011, and assumed the role of Board Chair in 2017. Her knowledge, experience, and dedication to the school made her an invaluable leader and advocate for providing access to quality, life-changing education to our students. The Thought Leaders Series honors her memory and invites the whole community to work together for social justice and equity.
About St. Andrew’s School Thought Leaders
St. Andrew’s School is a well-established equity-driven community organization that engages in positive community change by providing access to high-quality K through 5 education and forges relationships that strengthen the greater Richmond community’s cradle to career continuum through the perspectives of equity and social justice.