Lindsey Head Start Center  is encouraging local parents to explore the different learning opportunities available to their children.

The center held a midmorning rally in honor of National School Choice Week Thursday at St. Mark Missionary Baptist Church on East Monticello Street.

Brenda L. Smith — an educator at Lindsey — described the event as a “celebration for all students to get the education they deserve.”

Brookhaven Police Chief Kenneth Collins addressed the assembly, and he gave a stirring speech on the importance of quality schooling.

“Don’t stay on your video games too much,” he said to the children present. “It’s very important that you interact with other people and have face-to-face conversations with your families.”

Collins shared his experience growing up in government housing, and he expressed a great deal of gratitude to his mother for keeping him on the right scholastic track.

“If my mama didn’t make me get an education, there’s no way I’d be where I am today,” he said.

The Mississippi Legislature has devoted some of its current session to the assessment of state education, but public response to several pieces of congressional legislation — like House Bill 957 — has been mixed. In the midst of so much confusion, rallies like the one organized by Lindsey remind families to delve into the many academic alternatives open to their children.

According to www.schoolchoiceweek.com, modern education options include traditional public schools, public charter schools, public magnet schools, private schools, online academies and home schooling.

“The kids are the future of our town,” Collins said. “If they don’t learn what they need to do when they’re young, you can’t do anything with them when they get older.”

Lindsey Head Start Center prepares Lincoln County children for kindergarten and lays the educational foundation necessary for a lifetime of academic success. For more information on school choice, contact Lindsey at 601-833-2826 or visit www.mapheadstart.org.

“The only way we can get better as a community is to stick together,” Collins said.