Media release from the Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning (or DECAL):
The Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning (DECAL) and Voices for Georgia’s Children (Voices) are thrilled to announce that the 15th annual Georgia Pre-K Week will take place October 6-10, 2025. For a decade and a half, this highly anticipated statewide tradition has spotlighted the critical role of high-quality early childhood education and Georgia’s Pre-K Program, which serves the state’s four-year-olds and is funded by proceeds from Georgia’s Lottery for Education. The 2025 event promises to be the most memorable yet.
Each year, Georgia Pre-K Week invites leaders from across the state of Georgia to roll up their sleeves and step inside Georgia’s Pre-K Program classrooms to experience the magic of early learning. Participants include federal, state, and local elected leaders, government and industry professionals, and an array of community members. Just like the pages of Every Amazing Story, Georgia’s Pre-K program has its own tale worth telling. Beginning in 1992 as a pilot program with just 750 students, Georgia Pre-K has grown into a nationally celebrated model, preparing more than two million children for lifelong success.
This year’s featured book, Every Amazing Story: A Writing Adventure with Coy and Malcolm, is co-authored by Coy Bowles, a Grammy award-winning guitarist for the Zac Brown Band and advocate for children’s education and creativity, and Malcolm Mitchell, former Georgia Bulldog, Super Bowl champion, and literacy advocate. The story takes young readers on a creative journey that shows every child they have a voice and a story worth telling. It’s the perfect inspiration for a week dedicated to building curiosity, confidence, and a love of learning. The book was released just in time for this year’s Pre-K Week festivities.
“This milestone year is about honoring a program that has changed millions of lives,” said Judy Fitzgerald, Executive Director of Voices for Georgia’s Children. “As Every Amazing Story encourages children to imagine their own adventures, Georgia’s Pre-K program gives our youngest learners the strong start they need to write their own bright futures.”
The results speak for themselves. Research shows that children enrolled in Georgia Pre-K make significant gains in math, language, literacy, and social-emotional skills – regardless of family income. These gains last well beyond kindergarten, with a second burst of higher-than-expected growth showing up in the fourth grade.
“Georgia Pre-K has enjoyed unwavering bipartisan support for decades because leaders see the results firsthand,” said DECAL Commissioner Amy M. Jacobs. “Georgia Pre-K Week is more than a celebration. This is a chance to witness the transformation that happens when children are given the tools to dream big and achieve academically. This year, Coy and Malcolm’s book will help plant the seeds to spark those dreams in classrooms across the state.”
From bustling classrooms to the turn of each page, Georgia Pre-K Week 2025 will be filled with moments worth capturing, sharing and remembering. For more information about Georgia Pre-K Week, please visit www.gaprekweek.com.
