We Are: an entrepreneurial nonprofit organization created by business, civic, and philanthropic leaders to address the issue of school readiness in the region of South Hampton Roads.

 

We Serve: Chesapeake, Norfolk, Portsmouth, Suffolk, and Virginia Beach.

 

Our Vision: all children in our region arrive at kindergarten ready to succeed in school and life.

 

Our Plan: to improve early education. 

 

Our Motivation: at a critical time in a child’s development, our public investment is lowest.  In fact, for every $1 we invest in school-aged children, only 23 cents are spent on preschool-aged children, birth through age 5.    

 

Our Role: Smart Beginnings South Hampton Roads was created to:

• Raise awareness and make young kids a priority.
• Advocate for greater public-private investment.
• Improve our early education system.

In 2004, we worked to raise awareness on the importance of the early years, arm parents on how they can help their children to be ready & collaborate with our community partners to make young children & their education a priority.  Together we've made great strides!  Since 2004, we have moved the meter from 1 in 5 children not ready for kindergarten to 1 in 10.  Thank you for partnering with us to change the way our region thinks about early education!