Excel by Eight is focused on building a reliable resource grid, where all Arkansas families and communities have what they need to help children thrive.
LEARN ABOUT OUR PLANE8 Communities in Arkansas are improving health and education outcomes for their children.
A child’s first 3 years build the foundation for future learning, behavior, and health.
AAIMH honors Angela Duran with inaugural Outstanding Contributor Award
We are thrilled to announce that our executive director, Angela Duran, was honored with the inaugural Bonnie Limbird AAIMH Outstanding Contributor Award at the Arkansas Association for Infant Mental Health’s 2024 conference. The conference, themed “Small Steps, Big Impact: Advancing Solutions for Young Children with Trauma,” emphasized the crucial role of prenatal care and the first three years of life in fostering healthy social-emotional development.
Excel by Eight hosts Spring 2024 Learning Community
Representatives from our E8 communities came together in April for our semiannual Learning Community. The agenda for the two-day event focused on identifying resources to support the development and implementation of their community plans, specifically in the areas of early care and education, maternal health, and K-3rd grade literacy.
Lessons from the Top: Q&A with Jamie Ward
As the founder and president of Curricula Concepts Inc. and managing partner of Be Well Care Well, Jamie Morrison Ward is dedicated to fostering collaborative relationships and driving meaningful change within the field of early childhood education. She is committed to creating lasting positive outcomes for all involved, from educators and families to policymakers and community leaders. Jamie supports Excel by Eight Foundations’ work in early childhood education through her role as president of the Arkansas Association for Infant Mental Health. This association promotes the healthy social and emotional development of infants, toddlers, and their families.
In August 2023, just weeks after her 50th birthday, Jamie completed 29029 Everesting, a rigorous challenge where participants climb the equivalent of Mount Everest, or 29,029 feet, in 36 hours. The 36-hour climb and the training itself are as much a mental challenge as a physical one. We caught up with Jamie to talk about her experience and how the lessons from her journey to the top – all 13 trips – can be applied both in fitness and in her professional life.