Volunteer Mississippi, in coordination with the Office of the Governor and First Lady Deborah Bryant, Honorary Chair of the Volunteer Mississippi Board of Commissioners, recently announced the 2014 Governor’s Initiative for Volunteer Excellence (GIVE) Award honorees. Awards were presented to outstanding volunteer recipients at a special luncheon ceremony on April 14, 2014 at the Mississippi Museum of Art. Among the honorees was Cynthia Minton Walker.
Cindy Minton Walker positively influenced hundreds of students during her long career as an educator; but her volunteer efforts as a leader and knowledgeable advocate for early childhood development and education may be the thing that shapes Mississippi’s future.
Cindy co-founded MS Building Blocks, an initiative to provide school-readiness resources—mentors, classroom lessons, parent resources, business consulting—to pre-existing child care centers. She also became involved in several organizations, raising awareness, sharing her professional experiences, and creating lasting change. She served on the Gulf Coast Business Council’s Education Committee and the Mayor’s Preschool Initiative of Gulfport, secured funds as Chair of the Gulf Coast Collaboration for Early Childhood, and has worked with Excel by 5, an innovative community program to support young children and their families. Cindy also completed a Gulf Coast Business Council’s Masters’ class.
These collaborative and complementary efforts paved the way for Cindy to found the South MS PreK4Ward Initiative, a privately funded venture to establish free, high-quality preschools for four year olds on the Coast. The program has grown from one class of 20 in 2010, to five classes of 100 students today. Cindy spearheads hiring staff, placing students, and fundraising for the initiative. She even serves as a substitute teacher, all on a volunteer basis. Her passion for school readiness has led her to meet with coastal legislators, where she shares research, program outcomes, and the documented benefits of early childhood development and education efforts. Cindy was instrumental in working with others in the Assembly to introduce and pass legislation that funded $3 million in grants for preschools across our state.
Cindy still finds time to serve her community outside the initiative. She serves on several boards and committees, including the United Way of South Mississippi, the Education Vision Council, the Women’s Initiative Steering Committee, the Coast Chamber of Commerce, the Disabilities Connection Advisory Council, Seashore Highlands Project for Elder Care, and the Women’s Center for Nonviolence. She also volunteers with the Salvation Army, the Gulfport Rotary Club, the Heart Association, the First Methodist Church, and serves as a trainer for the Interfaith Disaster Task Force.
Cindy’s efforts in early education are a gift to Mississippi’s future, ensuring generations to come will be prepared to succeed on every level.