On March 19, more than 800 children, parents and early care and education providers gathered at the Capitol to raise their voices for our children! During the rally in the capitol rotunda, Rep. Nora Slawik, Rep. Sandy Peterson, and Speaker of the House Margaret Anderson Kelliher spoke to the enthusiastic crowd showing their support for Minnesota’s children. Sarah Caruso, president of the Minnesota Children’s Museum and chair of the Governor's Early Childhood Advisory Council and Todd Otis, president of Ready 4 K also spoke. Parents of children in early childhood programs across the state gave testimonials about their wonderful experiences with the programs their families have benefited from. The Teddy Bear Band gave a special performance, bringing even more energy to the event. The kids were so excited they couldn’t stop cheering!
Children filled the Great Hall throughout the morning enjoying all sorts of fun activities.
Included in the activities were hilarious stories from the St. Paul Public Library, songs by musicians from the MacPhail Center for Music, necklace-making stations from Lakeshore Learning, and exciting games from the Minnesota Children’s Museum. The kids got crafty making flowers to give to our representatives. Colorful posters with their work were created with the message “Plant the Seeds: Help Children Bloom." The messages were hand delivered by the children to the Speaker of the House.
The day ended with great news for the world of early childhood. The Speaker of the House announced that the House majority caucus has made a commitment to investing in early childhood care and education!
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