Clinton School student Nicky Hamilton and Dr. Charlotte Green, an elementary school principal in Conway (Ark.) School District, have worked to establish a new non-profit organization to champion early childhood education.
Life Long Learners, Inc., will focus on supporting and building capacity for private daycare centers and providing families with parental strategies that allow students to succeed in school.
Hamilton engaged in infrastructure and capacity building for the organization, assisting in the development of collaborative partnerships among the Conway School District, the Conway Areas Chamber of Commerce, the Department of Human Services Early Childhood Division and local private daycares.
Hamilton was also instrumental in securing partnerships with five-day care centers in Conway: Christian Academy, Helping Others Prepare to Excel (H.O.P.E) Preschool, Ms Lia’s Little Village, St. Peter’s Episcopal and Sunshine Inn Childcare. Additionally, she created a marketing plan and developed a grant proposal for the program.
Throughout the process, Hamilton worked with Green to strategically select the board of director members and plan the organization’s first executive board meeting. Hamilton’s work was instrumental in the creation of the organization, making it ready to hire an executive director to carry out the mission of the organization, Green said.
“Nicky Hamilton has done an excellent job in helping establish Life Long Learners – her professionalism, dedication and heart for increasing student achievement in Arkansas made her an asset to the development process of this organization,” Green said. “Nicky’s work with Life Long Learners was instrumental to the success of the launch and established a foundation for the development of an effective non-profit organization.”
“Dr. Green is a transformational leader dedicated to education and improving the lives of Arkansans, Hamilton stated. “I am grateful for the opportunity to have partnered with her on this very important issue of providing access to quality early childhood education for all children in Arkansas.”
Hamilton is from Johannesburg, South Africa. She completed the project as part of the school’s Capstone program, the last of three public service projects in the Master of Public Service degree program.