Jefferson County hosts Fall 2023 Learning Community
Representatives from each of Excel by Eight’s six communities came together in Pine Bluff for two days of relationship building, learning, and idea sharing at the Fall 2023 Learning Community. We appreciate our state partners and community steering committee members for your participation, and we’d like to extend a special thank you to the Jefferson County steering […]
8 Takeaways from the 2023 Excel by Eight Foundations Summit
In late October, the Excel by Eight Foundations Collaborative gathered in Little Rock with stakeholders and partners for a Summit to dive deeper into the goals and recommendations that have been developed by the collaborative’s working groups over the past year. This year’s Summit highlighted maternal health as a foundation for positive infant and toddler […]
How an emphasis on early childhood helped usher in a $25 million investment for the city of Batesville
During an August 2023 special election, residents of Batesville voted overwhelmingly in favor of four ballot issues that marked a turning point for the city. These issues secured a $25 million investment for the expansion and improvement of the city’s parks and recreation facilities as well as an additional $110 million to go toward the […]
Building a Stronger Future for Infants and Toddlers: An Update on the Excel by Eight Planning Process
For the past several months, Excel by Eight has been undergoing a planning process to review and update our policy agenda to improve health and education outcomes for infants and toddlers. We kicked off our planning process in November 2022 with a daylong summit that convened members of the Excel by Eight Foundations Collaborative, the group that helps […]
2023 Legislative Session Update: Key Bills Passed and Their Implications for Our Work
The 94th General Assembly of the Arkansas State Legislature concluded a productive and eventful session in April, resulting in the passage of significant bills that will have a substantial impact on our state. Excel by Eight closely monitored the progress of several bills introduced during the session that are relevant to our policy agenda and […]
Horatio School District, Public Libraries Partnering to Provide Free Summer Meals to Children in Southwest Arkansas
A few years ago, residents in Sevier County set priorities that would help children in their community thrive. Strengthening resources for and improving access to healthy food became a priority as a result of a community-led research effort. A grant from No Kid Hungry has increased the community’s capacity for purchasing, preparing, and serving nutritious meals to […]
Strengthening the Grid 2022
Click here to download Strengthening the Grid 2022
Excel by Eight hosts Spring 2023 Learning Community
Excel by Eight hosted its semiannual Learning Community at the end of April, bringing together more than 50 people from its six communities to share network connections, celebrate accomplishments, and discuss resources that can move their local community development plans forward and help children thrive. During the two-day, immersive event, participants from Conway County, Independence […]
Independence County: Building Brains in Preschoolers One Conversation at a Time
Preschools in Independence County have adopted innovative technology to support early brain development. LENA – short for Language ENvironment Analysis – is a professional development opportunity for early childhood educators that uses cloud-based software and a small, wearable device – often referred to as a “talk pedometer” – to measure and increase conversational turns that happen between a child […]
Building a Bridge to Kindergarten Readiness Through Parks and Public Spaces
In March 2019, Sevier County participated in the first round of Early Development Instrument assessments. The EDI results, combined with findings from a community input process and a child development questionnaire, showed room for improvement in the areas of physical activity, gross and fine motor skills, and overall social competence. To address these priority areas, a subcommittee based in […]
