MISSISSIPPI STATE – The second annual Mississippi KIDS COUNT Summit will focus on the positive future of Mississippi’s children.

The summit, “Moving Mississippi’s Children Forward: What Will It Take?” will be held Feb. 25 at Mississippi State University’s Riley Center in Meridian. The event will provide a forum to discuss ways to meet the economic, educational, health and safety needs of children in the state. Child advocates, educators, policymakers, parents and concerned citizens are invited to participate.

The one-day summit includes presentations from national speakers, a networking lunch, expert panels and afternoon breakout sessions. Featured speakers include, Lynn Davey, vice president of the FrameWorks Institute, and Noel Bravo, senior associate for the Policy Matters Project, a program of the Center for the Study of Social Policy. Additionally, the 2008 Mississippi KIDS COUNT Data Book and a video, featuring success stories of Mississippi’s child advocacy organizations, will be released.

Linda H. Southward, MSU professor and director of Mississippi’s KIDS COUNT, said the summit will help professionals across multiple disciplines coordinate efforts to ensure safe and healthy educational environments for the state’s children.

“Now is the time for Mississippians to work together to benefit our children,” she said.

The Mississippi KIDS COUNT Summit begins at 8:30 a.m. and concludes at 3:45 p.m.; breakfast and lunch will be provided. Visit http://mskidscount2009summit.eventbrite.com/ to register for the event. A fundraiser dinner to benefit KIDS COUNT will be held Feb. 24. For information on the dinner, contact Jackie Desjarlais at (662) 325-1590 or jackie.desjarlais@sscrs.msstate.edu.

Writer: Karen Templeton