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The Champions Mission:
Helping children start school ready to learn, not already behind

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About the Organization

Since 1996, Smith County Champions for Children has led a crusade to improve early childhood education by emphasizing excellence in child care.  Our goal is social - emotional and intellectual enrichment for our children.

For the last decade, Champions has been the motivating force behind a coordinated community effort to design and implement progressive programs to help at-risk children, parents and child care providers. All Ready Lesson Plan Curriculum represents Champions dedication to our mission of "Ready To Learn Not Already Behind".  Research tells us that children who attend a quality child care program enter school ready both academically and socially.

Champions is a partner agency of United Way Tyler/Smith County.

About the Director

MaryAnn Girard is the executive director of Smith County Champions for Children in Tyler, Texas. A licensed Brain Gym® instructor, social worker, childcare director, and certified anger management therapist, she developed the Red Bear Project Training Series, which provides instruction and consultation to childcare providers and parents of children who present challenging behavior in group settings. She has worked as a preschool teacher and center administrator, founded a faith-based intergenerational day care center, and has served as adjunct faculty for the early childhood departments of University of Texas at Tyler, Tyler Junior College, and Kilgore College. Ms. Girard presents workshops to early childhood educators and sees children and adults individually for Brain Gym® consultations. She received her M.Ed. in Early Childhood from the University of Texas at Tyler, and a B.S.S.W. from The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio. .

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