Jefferson County

Excel by Eight in Jefferson County

Jefferson County, E8’s newest member community, is led by Cathi Swan at the Arkansas River Education Service Cooperative. The steering committee has been formalized and includes representatives from K-12 education, health, home visiting, business, philanthropy, and higher education.

In 2023, the local steering committee will launch the research phase of the E8 process, gathering community input on priority areas by hosting data walk events and talking with parents, educators, service providers, and other stakeholders who work on behalf of families with children ages 0-8.

Data walks are gallery-style presentations of statistics related to boxes on the E8 resource grid. Excel by Eight presents initial data to participants and asks them to react. This helps us better understand where children are excelling and where we may need to shore up local resources.

Snapshot

East-central Arkansas, bisected by the Arkansas River

University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff and Southeast Arkansas College

Leading producer of cotton, soybeans, rice, poultry, and timber

Trade, entertainment, recreation, and health care center for Southeast Arkansas

Steering Committee

Chair

Cathi Swan, Chair, Arkansas River Education Service Cooperative

Committee Members

Peter Austin, Jefferson Regional Medical Center

Jennifer Barbaree, Pine Bluff School District

Dr. Steven Bloomberg, Southeast Arkansas College

Dr. Kimberly Davis, University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff

Jason Duren, United Way of Southeast Arkansas

Sherri James, Southeast Arkansas Behavioral Healthcare System

Angela Lopez, Arkansas Department of Human Services

Dr. Sarper Turker, Arkansas Lighthouse Charter Schools

Chad Pitillo, Simmons Bank

Allison Thompson, Jefferson County Alliance

Dr. Gary Williams, White Hall School District

Tom Wilson, Watson Chapel School District

Read more about E8 Communities

Excel by Eight hosts Spring 2024 Learning Community

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.

Jefferson County hosts Fall 2023 Learning Community

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. Thank you to the Jefferson County steering committee and the team at the Arkansas River Education Service Cooperative for being such gracious hosts!

How an emphasis on early childhood helped usher in a $25 million investment for the city of Batesville

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 construction of a new water treatment system. Opportunities to reshape a city’s infrastructure and enrich its social and recreational offerings without a tax increase seldom arise. But when they do, seizing these moments requires more than a stroke of luck; it demands collaboration, a willingness to learn, and data-informed planning.