Research & Service

In a sun-filled room with glorious views of the Hudson River, three mothers are singing songs in Spanish to their babies. They clap their hands and tap their feet, as a teacher leads the singing. In an adjacent room, mothers and toddlers are getting ready to share a nutritious snack. One floor below, more than a dozen 4 and 5 year-olds are busily working on art projects. Such is the typical scene at 154 Haven Avenue in northern Manhattan, home to one of two Columbia University Head Start programs.

But September 21 was not just a typical day at Head Start. That morning brought a visit from Shiranthi Rajapaksa, the First Lady of Sri Lanka. An educator and social worker by training, Madame Rajapaksa had come to learn about the Columbia Head Start Programs, which are administered by the Mailman School of Public Health’s Heilbrunn Department of Population and Family Health. The programs, which serve nearly 300 very low income families, are widely recognized for taking a comprehensive approach to early childhood education that integrates health, mental health, dental and prenatal services with developmental and educational programs.

Madame Rajapaksa had already established a number of early childhood programs in her country and was interested in learning more about the Columbia Head Start model. She and her delegation were greeted by Dr. John Santelli, Chair of the Heilbrunn Department of Population and Family Health and Dr. Carmen Rodriguez, Director of Columbia’s Head Start Program. They, along with Dr. Cassie Landers, a child development expert with an extensive background in international early childhood education, described the program and its unique approach.

On classroom visits and a tour of the facilities, Ms. Rajapaksa and members of the delegation were introduced to primarily Spanish-speaking parents and children who participate in the program. Columbia Head Start selects families based on need, giving priority to new immigrants, families living in homeless shelters, victims of domestic violence and teenage mothers.

“The Columbia HS/EHS Program is part of a unique partnership between the University and government that has been a successful model for the 17 years of its existence,” said Dr. Santelli. Indeed, the program attracts frequent visitors from overseas. A delegation from Norway was scheduled to arrive just few weeks after the Sri Lankan group. 

“Focusing on core values, we build on strengths and offer a continuity of care from pregnancy through age five,” noted Dr. Rodriguez.  “Particularly noteworthy is the parents’ growth in self confidence and parenting skills and the staff’s commitment to the work.”

Members of the delegation discussed how they might go about replicating the model in their home country in regional training sites outside the capital city of Colombo.

October 4, 2010