In 1965, Head Start launched as an eight-week summer program to give children a strong start. This summer, sixty years later, we’re honoring that legacy with eight themed weeks of action—mobilizing support, raising our voices, and building momentum to protect and strengthen Head Start for the future.
Dates: June 16 - August 8, 2025
Goal: Continue to raise Head Start’s visibility through the summer.
Each week has a theme with suggested activities for individuals and programs. The weeks of action (except 4th of July and the National Night Out activities) are flexible. They can be switched around to fit your program’s schedule. (For example, we know that most programs are not holding their staff pre-service the week after 4th of July).
Now is the time to plan ahead while programs are open. By doing this, we will be able to continue to advocate for Head Start through the summer during the important budget process.
Eight Weeks of Action for Head Start
Week 1: June 15 - 21, 2025
🏆 Champion Head Start’s Impact on Your Local Community
Individual Action: Ask at least one local organization to sign the national letter supporting Head Start.
Program Action: Collect signatures from local businesses and partners for the national letter supporting Head Start.
Week 2: June 22 - 29, 2025
💬Tell Your Story, Share Your Successes
Individual Action: Post your Head Start story on social media.
Program Action: Share success stories about families in your program through local media and social media.
Week 3: June 30 - July 5, 2025
🇺🇲 Celebrate Head Start and America on the 4th of July
Individual Action: Wear Head Start gear and display signs at your local Fourth of July festivities. Join the parade with your children.
Program Action: Organize a group to represent Head Start in a local celebration or parade – on a float, with bikes, or walking together.
Week 4: July 6 - 12, 2025
📣 Activate Staff: Build a Culture of Advocacy
Individual Action: Encourage three people to join the Head Start Action Network.
Program Action: Make a plan to integrate advocacy into your pre-service activities. Identify how you’ll engage staff in the importance of advocacy, provide tools, and include ways staff can inspire parents to become Head Start advocates as well.
Week 5: July 13 - 19, 2025
🍎 Promote Healthy Eating with Head Start
Individual Action: Post on social media how Head Start has helped families eat and access healthy foods.
Program Action: Collect and release affordable, healthy recipes via social media; develop articles about healthy eating for newsletters; and highlight your program’s healthy eating successes.
Week 6: July 20 - 26, 2025
Connect with Your Member of Congress: Make Head Start Heard
Individual Action: Call your Member of Congress to share your support for Head Start.
Program Action: Schedule a meeting with the district office of your Members of Congress.
Week 7: July 27 - August 2, 2025
🤝 Congress’s August Recess: Mobilize Locally
Individual Action: Identify and attend a town hall.
Program Action: Identify the date to host a fall program visit and invite Congress members. Identify program leads to attend a town hall.
Week 8: August 3 - 9, 2025
🌟Join National Night Out: Head Start Stands for Safe, Healthy Communities
Individual Action: Wear Head Start gear and attend your local National Night Out on August 5.
Program Action: Set up a Head Start table or activity at your community's National Night Out event.
Join Us!
Sign up to receive updates, easy-to-use resources, and ideas on how you or your program can take part in each week of action. We will be sharing resources (social media, forms, guidelines, etc) to support each week’s activities along with alumni and parent voices highlighting the importance of each week’s theme to Head Start.
Head Start: 40 Million Strong—and Just Getting Started! Let’s build off our history and make this summer count!