Savannah Area Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Bert Brantley and Vice President of Community Affairs Jennifer Davenport recently attended Mayor Van Johnson’s convening of the REAL Taskforce, where the Education Subcommittee presented The Case for Mandatory Early Childhood Education in Southeast Georgia.

The gathering brought together education, business, and community leaders to examine the connection between early learning, student success, and workforce readiness. RISE, United Way of the Coastal Empire, and Chatham County’s Moonshot initiative shared data highlighting the impact of greater investment in early childhood education, while Senator Derek Mallow called for expanded pre-K opportunities across the region.

The Chamber supports efforts to increase access to high-quality early learning, recognizing that tomorrow’s workforce begins with strong foundations in literacy, communication, problem-solving, and social development.

By investing in children today, our region can help build the skilled, prepared workforce employers will need tomorrow.