BROOKVILLE, Pa. – A local poet and Jefferson-Clarion Head Start have announced an educational partnership to provide children’s books and lesson curriculum in Head Start’s bi-county classrooms.

Author Pam Selker Rak’s children’s books “Sassafras Tea” and “Christmas Treedition” will be used in the classroom.

They center on the importance of simple life lessons that come from simple moments in a child’s life.

Rak is a Clarion County native who shares important memories and lessons of being raised in a blue-collar family in a small, rural Pennsylvania town.

Each of her books come with corresponding lesson plans that tie into these five areas, which are also part of Pennsylvania’s Learning Standards for Early Childhood:

• Scientific Thinking
• Language & Literacy
• Learning Through Creative Play
• Health & Wellness
• Social Studies & Cultural Learning

“We are excited to offer these books, and their curricula, to our teachers,” said Pam Johnson, Executive Director of Jefferson-Clarion Head Start, Inc.

“I know they’ll love the books and the activities that have been created around them; and I know our children will love them, too, and learn a lot from each one. They are relatable, enjoyable, and engaging, which will make them highly effective learning tools.”

“I’m thrilled to be partnering with Jefferson-Clarion Head Start and sharing my books with children in this important program,” added Pam Selker Rak, President of CommuniTech, LLC.

“This partnership ties in perfectly with my civic- and philanthropic-driven mission to support education and communities throughout my state. As a graduate of Leadership Pittsburgh, the program has changed my perspective in so many positive ways. I’m thrilled to be making this kind of impact for children under the guidance of the Jefferson-Clarion Head Start team.”

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