Local cheerleaders performed at the Day of the Young Child in Coachella. PHOTO: Johnny Flores/Coachella Unincorporated

By Johnny Flores, Jr.
Coachella Unincorporated

Coachella, Calif. — Eastern Coachella Valley Residents gathered at City Hall on April 14 to celebrate the Day of the Young Child, an event dedicated to promoting early education in children.

The event, presented by First Five Riverside, was filled with food, games, and a sense of community. Booths lined the area in front of City Hall, including one offering free vision screenings for children.

Local cheerleaders, a mariachi band, and dance groups performed for the approximately 200 in attendance.

Assemblyman V. Manuel Perez and Mayor Eduardo Garcia were on hand as well. Perez spoke about the importance of education in younger children and described how his own educational journey led him to where he is today.

First Five is an organization dedicated to informing parents and guardians about the importance of the first five years of their child’s life. One of its goals is to make quality pre-school education available to every four-year-old in California. According to First Five’s website, the brain develops rapidly during the first five years of life and quality pre-school programs can have a profound impact during this time. Children who attend a quality pre-school do better in elementary school and beyond, achieving greater success in reading and math. Students who attend pre-school are also more likely to graduate high school and be less involved in crimes as opposed to those who didn’t.

Additional event sponsors included Find Food Bank, College of the Desert, Planned Parenthood, Cardenas Grocery, and Riverside County Child Care Consortium.

For more information, please visit First Five’s website, www.rccfc.org.