NEW ALBANY, Miss. (WTVA) -- New Albany is now certified in record time.
The city has accomplished in 16 months what normally takes two years.
The New Albany/Union County Coalition for Early Childhood Education is now an EXCEL By 5 Certified Early Childhood Community.
EXCEL By 5 is an innovative program which focuses on the community's young children.
It emphasizes the important roles parents and early childhood educators play in the lives of children from birth to age five.
The New Albany coalition has put together a resource room members believe will help them to reach out to those children.
"It's a proven fact that every child who is read to, who learns his numbers and colors and those basic building blocks of education before they get to kindergarten achieve much better and much higher success rates as they go through elementary," coalition member Phil Nanney said.
For more information about EXCEL By 5, you can contact Phil Nanney at the Union County Development Association at (662) 534-4353.
