PENSACOLA, Fla.–Pen Air Federal Credit Union (Pen Air) presented a check in the amount of $2,577.80 to the Blue Wahoos and Studer Community Institute (SCI) as part of their annual giving partnership to SCI’s Early Brain Development. The check was presented at the Blue Wahoos Stadium.
“SCI works to give parents the tools, advice and support they need to fill the most important job they’ll ever have — that of a child’s first teacher. We need every parent to have these tools, because the future of our children — and the future of our community — depends on it,” said Shannon Nickinson, Director of Early Learning. “Because when you build a brain, you build a life and you build a community.”
The credit union said research conducted by the SCI shows that the first three years are a critical window for building healthy brains that are ready to learn. What builds a child’s brain? Talk and interaction with a loving adult — family members and caregivers alike. The more words a child hears in the first three years of life, the better chance he or she has to be ready and able to learn once that first day of kindergarten comes. And that’s a problem in our community, where data tells us about one-third of the children who start school each year don’t have the skills they need to succeed in school, Pen Air said.
“Helping to build an educational foundation for children is our responsibility as a strong community partner,” said Stu Ramsey, president and CEO of Pen Air. “In the spirit of Communerosity, we are thrilled to make an investment today in our children and their future success in school and life because we understand the importance of early learning.”
Each time the official Blue Wahoos Platinum Mastercard Credit Card is used, a donation is generated to Early Brain Development on behalf of the credit union. The current donation that was presented comes from funds that have been collected from the last 12 months.