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Fourteen-year-old, Lizzie Shacklett, an eighth grade student who currently resides in Montgomery County, recently purchased several bilingual books for children in Luzerne County Head Start’s (LCHS) preschool program. The young woman who was recently named “Miss Luzerne County’s Outstanding Teen” is focused on raising awareness about the importance of literacy in young children.
LCHS, which provides early childhood education and comprehensive services to qualified children from birth to age five and their families in Luzerne and Wyoming Counties, was in need of bilingual books for their dual language learners. The young woman sold some of her preloved clothing in order to raise money to purchase these books.
Kelly Chamberlain, director of education at LCHS says, “When the same story is read in two different languages, the child grasps a better understanding of language and how to use it correctly. For this reason, bilingual books help to connect the child’s new experiences and their cultural heritage.”
Profit obtained from the sale of her preloved clothing allowed Lizzie to purchase three dozen books for three and four-year-old children at LCHS’s Beekman Street location in Wilkes-Barre. Lizzie’s goal is to donate as many books as possible to schools, educational centers and shelters.
Thank you to Lizzie for thinking of LCHS and for helping to make a difference in the lives of young children.
SNAP as Public Assistance for Head Start Eligibility – The Office of Head Start recently announced families who receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits are now eligible to apply for Head Start/Early Head Start services.
This policy change, which went into effect on April 21, 2022, allows Head Start programs to reach families better, minimize the burden on families seeking public assistance, and coordinate benefit programs so that families eligible for one program can more easily participate in other services for which they qualify.
Research has shown that SNAP households with young children have equivalent level of need to families currently receiving Head Start services. The majority of households with young children who receive SNAP benefits have incomes below 100% of poverty.
In addition to TANF and SSI, programs now consider SNAP as “public assistance” for purposes of determining eligibility. The inclusion of SNAP benefits as public assistance will expand the pool of eligible participants in Head Start programs for these households.
If you receive SNAP benefits, you are now eligible to apply for Luzerne County Head Start’s early childhood education program.
LCHS is currently enrolling expectant families and children ages 0-5 in Head Start & Early Head Start. To begin an application, click HERE or call 570.829.6231 or 800.551.5829.
Luzerne County Head Start, Inc. (LCHS) will hold its 3rd annual “Walk for Wellness” on May 16, 2022 from 1pm-2pm at Kirby Park in Wilkes-Barre. The event coincides with the agency’s 57th anniversary celebration. The Walk for Wellness encourages all staff to gather at the park for a day of relaxation and to celebrate the end of the 2021-2022 program year. LCHS believes that in order to create a culture of health in an early childhood environment, educators and staff must also feel supported and valued in their health and well-being. The goal of this event is to recognize all staff for exceptional performance and encourage, support and reward their professionalism for the job they do. Well-taken care of employees will help our community’s most vulnerable children receive the education and support they need to be successful.
In addition to the Walk for Wellness, LCHS will celebrate 57 years of services during a virtual celebration earlier that day. All staff who are celebrating milestone anniversaries with the agency will be honored, as well as four community organziations, who have been named LCHS’s 2021-2022 “Outstanding Community Partners.” These include: Pastor David Walker and the Dallas United Methodist Church; Joe and Bedonna Mitchneck, founders of the “Toys from Heidi” project; Caitlin Styczen and Mondelez international and Chief Donald Leshko and the Hazleton Fire Department. LCHS would like to thank our Gold and Silver Level Sponsors who helped to make both of these events possible.
The Third District Dental Society in partnership with Wilkes-Barre Volunteers in Medicine donated dental bags for all Luzerne County Head Start preschool children to celebrate February’s National Children’s Dental Health Month. The bag included a toothbrush, toothpaste and 2 flyers about dental care for children.
The Third District Dental Society of the Pennsylvania Dental Association (PDA) was founded in 1930 and is made up of member dentists in Lackawanna, Luzerne, Wayne, Pike, Susquehanna, Monroe, Carbon, Columbia, and Wyoming counties. Member dentists and professionals strive to serve the public, improve their health, promote the art and science of dentistry and represent the interests of its members and the people they serve.
Volunteers in Medicine is a non-profit, community based organization developed to help meet the primary health care needs of the working uninsured and the underinsured populations in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania.
Luzerne County Head Start, Inc. (LCHS) opened a new Head Start classroom for preschool aged children at Luzerne County Community College’s (LCCC) Hazleton center, 100 W. Broad Street. Twelve children, ages 3-5, will attend services at this newly created space. The classroom is funded through the agency’s federal grant money.
Luzerne County Head Start executive director, Lynn Evans Biga, said, “We chose this location because the need for our services is great in the city of Hazleton. Finding the right space for a classroom that fits the requirements of our program can be challenging. The partnership we have with LCCC has helped to make this a great success. We couldn’t do this without their commitment to our organization and understanding of our mission.”
The new classroom will provide comprehensive services to qualifying children and their families who live in the Hazleton area. “We’re pleased to continue our valuable partnership with LCHS through the addition of a Head Start classroom at the College’s Hazleton Center,” said Thomas P. Leary, president, LCCC. “Luzerne County Community College and Head Start have worked together on several joint initiatives at our main campus in Nanticoke and we look forward to working with the Head Start program and its students in the Hazleton area.”
In addition to its newest classroom at LCCC’s Hazleton center, LCHS has Head Start centers located at 663 Carson Street; 334 West Birch Street; and in the Hazleton Integration Project, 225 E 4th Street. LCHS also provides Early Head Start (EHS) services for pregnant women and children from birth to age three. The Hazleton EHS program is located at 10 W. Chestnut Street in Hazleton. All centers are currently enrolling new applicants in both programs.
Alexandria is a 5-year-old student at Luzerne County Head Start’s Tunkhannock center who is headed to kindergarten in the fall. This is her second year in the Head Start program. Her family worker, Julianne Pettit or “Miss Julie,” says Alexandria loves to help her classmates.
“Alexandria is full of heart, and always has a smile on her face.”
The 5-year-old girl lives with her grandmother, who recently experienced some hardships that put the family in a state of homelessness. Miss Julie learned about Project Donate Joy (or DJ) from Luzerne County Head Start’s family engagement team. The group provides handmade quilts for children. Each quilt is crafted with unique material, so no two are alike.
Without reliable transportation and a temporary housing situation, Miss Julie thought the personalized blanket would be the perfect sentiment for Alexandria. The volunteers from Project DJ put together a special blanket for Alexandria and Miss Julie brought the blanket to her. Miss Julie says the little girl was so thankful and loves her new blanket.
“Alexandria has a lot of people who love and care for her.”
Alexandria enjoys spending time with her mother, father, baby brother and 8-year-old sister, Izabella, who was also a former LCHS student. Miss Julie recently helped Alexandria’s mother find a high chair for her baby brother and says she does whatever she can to make sure Alexandria and her family have everything they need.
“We are here for Alexandria, and her family. They really appreciate the help that we provide to them.”
The Wright Center for Community Health will park its “Driving Better Health” van in the side parking lot of Luzerne County Head Start’s central office building, 23 Beekman St., Wilkes-Barre on Mon., Dec. 6 from 11am to 3pm.
They will offer childhood and adult immunizations, flu vaccines and COVID-19 vaccines for adults and children, age five and older.
Child immunization records and insurance cards, if available, should be presented.
Children without insurance will still be able to receive immunizations at no cost.
One of the significant benefits of early childhood education is that it builds a love of learning that lasts well beyond the preschool years. Amber Grohowski, a 2016 graduate of Nanticoke Area High School, and former Luzerne County Head Start student, is a testament to the success of what early learning programs can do for young children in school and later in life.
The young woman from Nanticoke recently landed a job in the medical field at UPMC in Williamsport. Amber graduated from Wilkes University earlier this year, where she received her Bachelor of Science degree in Neuroscience. Following graduation, she enrolled in Bloomsburg University’s Intraoperative Neurophysiologic Monitoring Program. The certification helped to prepare her for her career as a surgical neurophysiologist.
“Neuroscience pulled together the best of both worlds for me; a lot of psychology with some biology, too. I developed a passion for everything I was learning about. I felt like I could use a lot of it in my own life. For example, different parenting styles: authoritative, authoritarian, permissive, neglectful and the type of personality children growing up in those situations are likely to develop.”
Amber’s role as a surgical neurophysiologist puts her in the operating room, where she monitors patients’ nervous systems for possible adverse reactions while undergoing surgery. Surgical neurophysiologists use tools like needle and sticky pad electrodes to help them observe problems that may arise during surgery. The surgical neurophysiologist then works with the surgeon to let them know what the patient is experiencing in order to help reduce the risk of postoperative deficits.
Amber credits much of her success to her beginning at Head Start and the support she received from her family.
“My parents mean the world to me and having them by my side during my childhood helped shape me into the person I am today.”
Amber’s mother, Diane Grohowski, said the structure Head Start provided coincides with Amber’s success in her personal life.
“I think the play-based learning method Head Start follows propelled Amber to be involved in school. Even as an adult, I think that model helps her to solve problems and get along with others.”
Diane said at times she and her husband faced financial hardships, but she was thankful Head Start was there to help them.
“I stayed home with my children for eight years and my husband didn’t have a great paying job. One year for Christmas, Head Start put tags on their giving tree. Amber was adopted by a business office and the employees collected four big bags of gifts for her. It was such an incredible and unimaginable gesture. The whole Head Start experience was positive – it really helped tie everything together for us.”
During her senior year in high school, Amber learned from her guidance counselor at Greater Nanticoke Area High School about Luzerne County Head Start’s alumni scholarship program. Each year, the program honors the achievements of former Head Start students graduating from high school and continuing their education. Recipients are chosen based on academic performance, personal achievements, leadership, motivation and school and community involvement.
Amber said, “I knew tuition was going to be costly, so I wanted to apply for a scholarship that I would be able to easily relate with. Head Start is where it all began for me, so I couldn’t pass up the opportunity.”
Head Start alumni scholarships are supported entirely by community organizations, businesses, and individuals like Gary Williams of Shavertown. In 2012, Mr. Williams, who serves as treasurer on the Luzerne County Head Start Board of Directors, established The Fran Williams Memorial Scholarship in memory of his late wife, who liked to give to those in need of a little extra help. Each year the recipient of this scholarship receives $4,000, which is spread out over a student’s first two years of post-secondary education.
Amber was the 2016 recipient of The Fran Williams Memorial Scholarship. She says that “little extra” the scholarship provided helped her to get the college experience she wanted. As a token of her appreciation, Amber invited Gary to attend her graduation ceremony at Wilkes. He was grateful to attend.
“I was surprised and honored for this invitation. I attended the ceremony and met Amber and her family and learned that she is now employed by UPMC and using her degree to monitor patients’ nervous systems for possible adverse reactions while undergoing surgery. What a great success story and excellent example of what supporting scholarships can mean to a young person who has successfully finished high school and is seeking a college education.”
Amber’s mother, Diane, is proud of how far her daughter has come since her early beginnings.
“I am pleased that Amber can sustain her own lifestyle – she pays all of her bills, drives a new car, rents a nice townhome and has a great job. I am proud of how far she has come and so thankful for the help we had along the way.”
When she isn’t at work, Amber enjoys spending time with her two cats, Morris and Fireball, and is working to master her baking skills. She also likes to travel back home to Nanticoke on the weekends to visit with her parents. Amber says a quote she lives by is, “Be the reason someone believes in the goodness of people.”
From 1987 through 2021, scholarships totaling $293,250 have been awarded to outstanding students, like Amber, who began their educational journey at Head Start. Scholarship applications for former Head Start students who will graduate in June of 2022 are now available. The deadline for submission is January 28, 2022.
Businesses, organizations or individuals in the community who are interested in sponsoring a scholarship for a high school senior should contact Lindsey Fredericks, community advocate, Luzerne County Head Start, by emailing lindseyf@hsweb.org, or calling 570-829-6231.