Enabling Brain and Literary Development during Pre-School Years – REACH OUT AND READ MN

Dr. Sylvia Sekhon, Pediatrician, MA and MD, Practicing Physician, St. Paul; Adjunct Assistant Professor, University of MN Medical School, Active Advocate for Children

Dr. Don Draayer, Former Minnetonka Superintendent (24 years), AASA National Superintendent of the Year; University of MN Lecturer of Record; Rotarian, Excelsior Rotary Club

Drs. Sekhon and Draayer will present eye-opening brain research on children, ages 0 to 5, on what enables K-12 youth to soar, or not, in their K-12 years and beyond, impacting both academic and social-emotional development. They will describe the REACH OUT AND READ MN project, sponsored by the Excelsior (noon) Rotary Club and Foundation, which encourages and helps parents with pre-school children -- especially pre-school parent(s) in poverty and/or impoverished situations -- to promote optimum brain, literacy, and social development.  The project aims to enlarge the impact of MN health clinic visits by including an educational component that promotes home-based cognitive and social-emotional development.

REACH OUT AND READ MN’s mission is threefold; partner with MN Health Clinics, train their doctors and pediatricians how best to implement this educational component, and distribute an age, language, and culturally appropriate book at every parental visit.