Children need an adult to take a moment each day to recognize their existence, to make them feel special and loved, to Be There for them. It doesn't require additional resources of time or money--- just smiling at them, asking a question, making eye contact, including them in the daily routines of life. These simple actions will reap immense rewards at home, at play and at school.

Be There for a child today. The benefits will last a lifetime.

Be There is a national movement that inspires parents to become more involved in their children's education.

• A Nebraska newspaper sponsors a series of personal Be There stories
  
• Nebraska Governor helps Papillion-La Vista school district launch Be There
  
• Houston County, Georgia kicks off Be There Campaign or see the Fox News Story
  
• Bank of America Charitable Foundation helps schools and families with $100,000 grant for "Be There" campaign
  
• Be There Launches Multiply

The Be There campaign, created by Voss & Associates, provides an exceptional opportunity to improve student achievement by increasing parent involvement. Click below to visit:

Through The Eyes Of A Principal
A principal in Volusia County, Florida, wanted to improve student achievement in her middle school. She had read the research and knew that one of the most important ways to ensure student success was through parent involvement in their child's education. Last school year she instituted several measures to improve engagement, including automated outreach telephone messages and Be There.

According to Campbell Middle School principal, Vickie Presley, in Daytona Beach, "The Be There campaign played an important role in getting parents to support their children's education. Even when they couldn't make school events, parents were reminded to Be There for their children at home. As a result, our student achievement and parent involvement improved, and I'm pleased to say, this year we'll meet the rigorous criteria to become a Five Star School in Florida."

How does Be There work?
Think of the highly visible "designated-driver when drinking," and "missing kids" campaigns. Their messages were everywhere - and their successes were measurable. In fact, according to The Ad Council, "Eighty-four percent of Americans recall having seen or heard a Friends Don't Let Friends Drive Drunk public service announcement. Nearly 80 percent report they took action to prevent a friend or loved one from driving drunk, and 25 percent report they stopped drinking and driving as a result of the campaign." Those are significant results because millions of people were exposed to a powerful message over and over again. According to the Harvard School of Public Health, "If there's one thing health experts know, it's that you don't influence behavior by telling people what to do. You do it by exposing them to enough cases of people behaving well that it creates a new norm."

That's the idea behind the Be There campaign - constant inspirational reminders to Be There for children - to change behaviors and make connecting with children the new norm throughout our nation.