BILOXI, Miss. -- The Mississippi State University Extension Service plans to ease the transition to school for families with young children through a new Head Start program on the Gulf Coast.

 Louise Davis, Extension professor in the MSU School of Human Sciences, said the program will leverage community partnerships and research-based methods to establish a strong program that serves children at their youngest and most vulnerable stage in life.

“Our goal is to create a seamless chain of service for children so they can easily transition from an early care and education settings to kindergarten,” Davis said. “We believe that high-quality early childhood experiences and strong relationships between families and communities are essential in laying a foundation for school success.”

Centers to be served are Gilbert Mason, Harry Tartt, Linda Lyons, Central Elementary and Gorenflo. To ensure the success of this program, partnerships have been established with local school districts -- Gulfport School District and Biloxi Public School District -- as well as Moore Community House and Shine Early Learning. Moore Community House currently houses Early Head Start, while Shine Early Learning will provide programmatic support.

This program is funded for five years by the Office of Head Start under the Department of Health and Human Services. The Mississippi State University Extension Head Start Program plans to use this opportunity to build a model for programs that can be replicated throughout Mississippi.

A parent meeting will be held on Aug. 19 from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Coastal Research and Extension Center at 1815 Popp’s Ferry Road, Biloxi, MS 39532.

A job fair will be held at this same location on Aug. 20, 21 and 22 from 6 to 9 p.m. each night. Those interested in applying should also visit https://www.msujobs.msstate.edu/.

MSU is an equal opportunity institution. For disability accommodation, please call 662-325-3083.