Karen DeSoto: A Head Start in Changing the Future

Karen DeSoto serves as President of Head Start in Jersey City, a program that has

helped countless students throughout its nearly five-decade history. A federally funded

initiative serving children of preschool age, Head Start works to equip families with the

tools necessary to build a better future. Karen DeSoto notes that the program views parents as a child’s principal educators, and, as such, encourages them to become actively involved

in several different ways, including developing program structure and assuming

volunteer and staff positions.

Head Start now serves Jersey City, New Jersey, with 11 locations, each of which

provides a range of educational programming for young students and their families. To best serve students, Head Start collaborates with public school staff and teachers, especially

educators who focus on alternative teaching. Ideally, the program forges an environment in

which children feel free to explore their interests and passions outside the rigid

confines of curricula. In addition to education, Head Start also addresses the social needs of the community, from nutrition to health.