The importance of a child's early years is something that's often taken for granted, yet these youngest years have consistently been shown to be the groundwork of development.

As it happens, a new, local non-profit that values children's access to quality early education recently formed and is housed at Groundwork on Purchase Street in New Bedford. The organization is called New Bedford Children, and its Executive Director/President, Marissa Fay-Martin, joined me to throw light on the organization, its objective and vision.

Their curriculum is an emergent, project-based teaching program. Fay-Martin told us if we step back and let the children observe the world through their own eyes, it gives them a different perspective and allows them to learn about things based on real-life experiences.

Fay-Martin is motivated by her belief that a first-rate education is an endowment of all children, not just for the comfortable communities. You'll get a better sense of this by joining an event celebrating the weaving together of our community's voices to reimagine early childhood education in New Bedford, on Saturday, Nov. 21 at 3 p.m. Pre-registration is required online or on the organization's Facebook page.

In my judgment, children who are enrolled in early childhood education achieve more at school and later have better career opportunities. Marissa Fay-Martin said she feels called to share what she has learned with the New Bedford community, the city she calls home. As a good neighbor, I say welcome home, New Bedford Children!

Phil Paleologos is the host of The Phil Paleologos Show on 1420 WBSM New Bedford. He can be heard weekdays from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. Contact him at phil@wbsm.com and follow him on Twitter @PhilPaleologos. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the author.

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