Colquitt County is rewriting the story of early literacy through strong community partnerships and the University of Georgia’s Archway Partnership. By connecting families with vital resources, Archway’s Youth Development and Education Issue Work Group is helping ensure the county’s youngest learners have the tools they need to thrive. 

The Archway model brings together community members in work groups to tackle locally-identified issues with university support. When new partners from the Colquitt County School District joined the youth and education work group, they had the idea to create an inventory of available learning resources in the county. As resources were categorized by age groups, needs, and agency contacts, a clear picture emerged: Colquitt County had a significant gap in childcare and early learning services for children from birth to three years old. That realization became the spark for introducing The Basics, an evidence-based program designed to equip communities with early literacy opportunities for children not yet enrolled in formal education. 
 
“The Archway Partnership provided stability for this initiative,” said Sarah Adams, the Archway Professional in Colquitt County when the work group was launched. “While participation changed over time, Archway ensured the mission stayed on track and provided the platform needed for this effort to take shape.” 

In 2022, the data that the issue work group collected confirmed the need for a more formal early learning support structure, paving the way for an Early Head Start Program in Colquitt County. The program now provides critical support for expecting mothers and children from birth to age three — the gap identified by the learning resources inventory.  

Lykesa Bridges, Early Head Start/Head Start director for the Southwest Georgia Community Action Council, expanded The Basics outreach to include the Colquitt County Baby (ABC) Book and re-registering the district for the Dolly Parton Imagination Library program.  

“Our experience with The Basics has been a powerful reminder of the importance of early learning and childcare,” Bridges said. 

For families, that importance is felt every day. 

Neptalin Bautista picked up The Basics literacy bag at a fall festival and was thrilled to see the book and activities for her 3-year-old son. After reading together, he practices by repeating words into the microphone included in the literacy pack, turning story time into an interactive learning experience. 

The literacy efforts go beyond reading to integrating connections with daily life. For Bautista, that means using an action cube to help her son identify animals and how they move. She said he also benefits from the sorting and counting activities he can do by himself. 

“He enjoys the activities so much that we use them at least three or four times a week,” she said. “I have also added another book to the bag so that we can read more books together.” 

Stories like Bautista’s support local data. Student assessments show measurable growth: at the start of the term, 54.3% of Early Head Start students met or exceeded benchmarks in Literacy, a number that rose to 69.7% by the end of the term. Language benchmarks increased from 46.7% to 59.8% in the same period. 
 
“We are excited to continue building on these efforts to connect more families with The Basics,” said Sara Hand, current Archway Professional for Colquitt County. “The sustained partnership with the Early Head Start program not only expands The Basics but also shows the impact a collaborative effort can have.” 

The first years of Colquitt’s Early Head Start program have already shown tremendous impact. With waitlists since the program began, plans are underway to add a third classroom — another step toward ensuring that more families throughout Colquitt County can benefit from the literacy and language supports made possible through the Archway Partnership and its community collaborators. 

More information about The Basics in Colquitt County may be found at https://thebasicscolquitt.org/.