An organic moment took over a packed Irvington Conference Center as more than 300 attended Head Start’s 25th Anniversary Celebration on Oct. 29.  

Early in the program, attendees watched a tribute video. It showcased numerous child testimonials, the division’s history and even a peek into the future for a program that serves Harris County’s youngest learners.

But it was an ariel shot of the new, soon-to-open Coolwood Head Start facility that got everyone’s attention. Excitement quickly filled the room and raucous applause followed. It’s because everyone in the room knows just how far Head Start has come in 25 years, from dated buildings and small budgets to a dozen centers and hundreds of employees serving more than 1,300 students annually. 

“We didn’t make any money – I actually saved some of my paystubs from back then,” joked Betty Moore, an original Head Start center manager and longtime advocate who spoke of the program’s beginnings at the celebration. “So, we did it because of the love we had for the children and the program. The video actually brought tears to my eyes…and that’s why I started working at Head Start. I grew up in the small town of La Porte and wanted better for those children.” 

Head Start provides newborns to 5-year-olds a safe and structured learning environment that supports growth in areas that include language, literacy and social and emotional development. Campuses follow the Frog Street Press curriculum, a program approved by the Texas Education Agency. Additionally, students are provided free meals and snacks, both indoor and outdoor physical activity, and vision, hearing, nutrition and developmental screenings. 

The program also involves the parents as their child’s first – and most important – teacher, and works to provide services for children and their families. 

In total, Head Start has served more than 20,000 children and their families across 12 Head Start centers in northeast Harris County since 1999. 

At the cerebration, attendees were able to network with Head Start community partners Lakeshore Learning, Kaplan Early Learning Company and Age of Learning. Harris County Department of Education’s (HCDE) Civic Engagement team was on hand, sharing voting and election information and distributing voting shirts and books. 

There were even interactive wall displays for Head Start staff and community members to write messages, share their best memories and achievements, and provide advice for future employees. 

Dr. John McGee, an HCDE Board of Trustee and former Head Start student while growing up in Oklahoma, gave his personal message to the room. He referred to the Head Start center as a ‘cocoon of love.’ 

“I learned to love people – red, brown, yellow, black or white,” he said. “I learned that we were all precious. Not only did I learn to love people, but I also learned to love the process of learning and the interaction with others and teachers. And we learned. We learned our numbers, our shapes and our colors.” 

Other speakers told the crowd stories of Head Start’s history in Harris County. From starting with a handful of employees to expanding throughout the county. From piles of paperwork and applications filled out by hand to remote work and dealing with the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Family Services Provider Lynnet Holiday, who spoke of the most recent years in Head Start, even discussed how the program has now become multigenerational, serving children whose parents were once in their shoes as young students. 

“The past decade of Head Start has also shown a lot of us to be pillars in the communities,” Holiday said. “When a family member or community members sees us out with our shirts or we tell them we work at Head Start, they’re always overly glad to know we are in the community making a difference for those students.” 

HCDE Superintendent James Colbert Jr. praised the group, calling Head Start team members ‘Academic Angels.’ Many Head Start students come from nontraditional backgrounds and live in circumstances that don’t meet usual standards.

“That’s where the angel comes in,” Colbert said. “What you see every single day working with them is you see the potential. We’re all part of an organization that prides itself on advocating for young people, and there’s not a division that we have that does that more than Head Start.” 

He then challenged them to keep pushing forward. 

“Continue what you do,” he said. “Some of these [students] will end up being like you. Some of them may end up being educators, superintendents, board members, attorneys and others. Keep believing and challenging our students. Don’t feel sorry for our kids. Our kids don’t need our sympathy. The moment you start feeling sorry for them, you stop thinking they can go to Princeton. 

“No, I need you to encourage them and push them like you would any kid. I want you to inspire and push them. I want to continue loving and caring for our kids, and I want you to show them the side of the world they’ve never seen.”