Exhibit open to the public on April 18 & April 19 from 9am to 5pm

MADISON, Wisconsin, April 15, 2013 — Legislators, their staff and the public are invited to a national exhibit on display in the Capitol Rotunda. Called “Invest in US” – the interactive exhibit shows why quality early education matters to the nation, and to Wisconsin.

“Early education is a priority in President Obama’s proposed budget and this exhibit points out the return on that investment,” says Ruth Schmidt, Executive Director of the Wisconsin Early Childhood Association.
“The exhibit is a great way to learn the science underlying ‘child’s play’ and why what happens in early childhood has lifelong impact on children as they grow,” she says.

An opening celebration on the morning of Thursday, April 18 in the North Hearing Room will feature brief, expert perspectives on:

• The return on investments in early learning—George Lightbourn, President, Wisconsin Policy Research Institute.
• Early brain development and its connection to school readiness—Dipesh Navsaria, MPH, MSLIS, MD, Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health.
• Why school readiness matters to Wisconsin—Ann Terrell, Administrator with Milwaukee Public Schools and Board member, National Association for the Education of Young Children.

The exhibit is funded through generous contributions from the Buffett Early Childhood Fund, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Irving Harris Foundation, the George Kaiser Family Foundation, the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, The Pritzker Children’s Initiative, and an anonymous donor.

The exhibit is a traveling project of the First Five Years Fund, hosted by Wisconsin Early Childhood Association (WECA).

Learn more and watch the “Invest In US” video below: