“I’ve always had a passion for working with children. From very early in my work with children, I understood that a strong foundation sets them up for success,” VP of Public Will-Building Heather Adams said. “After my daughter was born, I shifted my drive away from the classroom and into early childhood development.”
After nearly 15 years as Executive Director of the Rockingham County Partnership for Children, Adams joined Ready for School, Ready for Life (Ready Ready) as Director of Engagement and Literacy Initiatives. Her projects included areas such as family engagement with the Guilford Parent Leader Network, strategic planning for The Basics Guilford, and leading a community-wide design team for the Ages 3-5 stage of our work. She celebrated her second anniversary at Ready Ready just last month.
“Now my role is building momentum across Guilford County for the work Ready Ready is coordinating,” Adams said. “Our goal is population-level change, and it impacts the whole community. That means we must reach out to our incredibly diverse community and help them understand why we’re building a system of care for the very youngest children and their families.”
Ready Ready’s work focused on prenatal to age three is scaling up to full implementation. In addition, the next stage adds strategies focused on children ages 3-5 and then 5-8. “Our hope in stage two is that we’ll see a reduction in disparities, improved outcomes for children at kindergarten entry, and success in school by third grade. As we build public will and momentum, I think we’ll be a much more visible organization in the community.”
A recent empty-nester with her daughter in her second year of college, Adams enjoys making connections with the community. One key activity – running. A former marathon runner, Adams finds running to be both a work-life balance release and an effective fitness routine. “I have found a lot of community running the streets and trails of Greensboro and Guilford County. When you’re pounding the pavement with friends, there’s lots to discuss while you enjoy the scenery.”