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Lisa Tate and Carolyn Jason were among some of the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Head Start/Early Head Start staff members who were acknowledged at a recent state conference in Springfield, Ill. 

Tate, program operations and instructional services coordinator, spoke at an Illinois Head Start Association (IHSA) conference luncheon as a Head Start alum. She shared both her experiences as a Head Start student and her current role as an employee of the federal program. 

She was only four years old, but Tate said she remembered feeling warm, safe and happy whenever she went to Head Start. And now, she is committed to fostering the same experiences and more for the 1,500 Head Start children in St. Clair County. 

“I have good memories of the Head Start program I attended in 1968 in Kankakee, Illinois. I remember having my own cot and blanket,” Tate said. “I remember having fun activities to do and being able to play in a big back yard that had an oak tree with a rope hanging from it.” 

“I have had the wonderful privilege of being both a Head Start student and working for Head Start,” she continued. “It’s never too early to expose children to learning and a good environment. And Head Start has been doing this and more for 50 years.” 

Tate was part of a small delegation from the SIUE Head Start/Early Head Start program who attended the conference that also commemorated the national program’s 50^th Year Anniversary.

 In other happenings, Jason, program operations coordinator, was elected to a second term as a board member for the IHSA Board of Directors. The board has 20 members and provides services for all members of the Head Start community. It meets bi-monthly for six meetings per year. 

“I was re-elected for a second two-year term to the IHSA Board as an at-large member representing the staff component,” Jason said. “It is a very rewarding and satisfying experience to serve on the board.  In this capacity, I get to work with my Illinois colleagues to develop resources and initiate projects needed by the Head Start community at large. 

 “As a member of the board, I have assisted in the development of the board’s strategic plan as well as other resources that will enhance services provided to children and families,” Jason added. “I look forward to continuing to serve on the Resource Development committee, which is responsible for providing leadership for revenue growth and quality services for membership.” 

Currently, both Tate and Jason support Head Start centers and their staff to ensure that early childhood best practices are implemented in classrooms and home visits. The coordinators also make positive connections with the families of Head Start children. Tate has worked for SIUE Head Start/Early Head Start for 12 years, and Jason has worked for the program for 15 years. 

Photos: 

Lisa Tate holds an enlarged photograph of her as a young Head Start student. Tate is shown on the far right with her sister Antoinette Ames on the left and her cousin Cameron Wells in the middle.

 Carolyn Jason is seen at the Illinois Head Start Association conference.