The Hunt Institute Convenes State Policymakers for Inaugural Prenatal-to-3 Policy Academy in Collaboration with Prenatal-to-3 Policy Impact Center
June 29, 2026
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 29, 2026
communication@hunt-institute.org | (984) 377-5200
Nashville, TN (June 29, 2026) - From Thursday, June 25, through Saturday, June 27, 2026, The Hunt Institute, in partnership with the Prenatal-to-3 Policy Impact Center at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee, co-convened the inaugural Prenatal-to-3 (PN-3) Policy Academy. Participating policymakers were selected for this invitation-only event for their demonstrated recognition that early childhood represents an important period of development for children and that strong families are the foundation of strong communities.
Over the three days, 20 bipartisan state policymakers from across 11 Southeastern states met at the Wyatt Center on the campus of Peabody College of Education and Human Development at Vanderbilt University. Cohort members participated in sessions with national policy experts, researchers, practitioners, and peers reviewing policy wins across the Southeast and future policy considerations relevant to child development, family stability, and school readiness. The policy academy included a site visit to Nashville’s Martha O’Bryan Center, founded in 1894 during the Settlement House movement. The Center has grown and expanded over the years and today provides programs offering educational and economic opportunity while advocating for systems change to support future generations of families.
The participating policymakers represent state-level leadership from across the political spectrum and include:
- The Honorable April Weaver, Senator, Alabama (R)
- The Honorable Jeana Ross, Representative, Alabama (R)
- The Honorable Jamie Scott, Senator, Arkansas (D)
- The Honorable Missy Irvin, Senator, Arkansas (R)
- The Honorable Mike Clines, Senator, Kentucky (R)
- The Honorable Amy Neighbors, Representative, Kentucky (R)
- The Honorable Beth Mizell, Senator, Louisiana (R)
- The Honorable Barbara Freiberg, Representative, Louisiana (R)
- The Honorable Sophia Chitlik, Senator, North Carolina (D)
- The Honorable Tammy Townley, Representative, Oklahoma (R)
- The Honorable Toni Hasenbeck, Representative, Oklahoma (R)
- The Honorable Suzanna Schreiber, Representative, Oklahoma (D)
- The Honorable Jason Elliott, Senator, South Carolina (R)
- The Honorable Sean M. Bennett, Senator, South Carolina (R)
- The Honorable Terry Alexander, Representative, South Carolina (D)
- The Honorable Vincent Dixie, Representative, Tennessee (D)
- The Honorable Lauren Ashley Simmons, Representative, Texas (D)
- The Honorable Michael Cherry, State Delegate, Virginia (R)
- The Honorable Joe Statler, State Delegate, West Virginia (R)
- The Honorable Kathie Hess Crouse, State Delegate, West Virginia (R)
The PN-3 Policy Academy is a collaboration between The Hunt Institute, based in Cary, North Carolina, and the Prenatal-to-3 Policy Impact Center, based at the Peabody College of Education and Human Development at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee. The Hunt Institute carries out the vision of the agency’s founder and namesake, Governor Jim Hunt, known as North Carolina’s Education Governor and as the founder of Smart Start – a North Carolina statewide initiative meant to support every child in reaching their potential and preparing for success in school and life. The Prenatal-to-3 Policy Impact Center, led by Dr. Cynthia Osborne, Executive Director and Professor of Early Childhood Education and Policy at Vanderbilt University, brings together researchers, nonpartisan policy experts, communicators, government relations strategists, and operational staff who work directly with state leaders to achieve their goals for child and parent well-being.
“The first three years of life lay the foundation for a child’s lifelong health, learning, and success, which makes supporting families during this critical period essential to our shared future,” shared Dr. Javaid Siddiqi, President and CEO of The Hunt Institute. “When we invest in early childhood, we strengthen communities, fuel economic growth, and unlock the full potential of the next generation.”
“The Prenatal-to-3 Policy Academy demonstrates the value of bringing bipartisan state policymakers together to engage with rigorous evidence, learn from experts and one another, and explore practical policy solutions,” said Dr. Cynthia Osborne. “By fostering dialogue grounded in research, we can better equip state leaders to make informed decisions that support young children and their families.”
About The Hunt Institute
The Hunt Institute, an affiliate of Duke University’s Sanford School of Public Policy, is a leader in transforming public education. Marshaling expertise from a nationwide partner network since its establishment in 2001, The Hunt Institute brings together people and resources that help build and nurture visionary leadership and mobilize strategic action for greater educational outcomes and student success. For more information, please visit: http://www.hunt-institute.org/.
About the Prenatal-to-3 Policy Impact Center
The Prenatal-to-3 Policy Impact Center is a nonpartisan research center at Vanderbilt University’s Peabody College of Education and Human Development that provides state leaders with clear, evidence-based policy solutions to improve the lives of young children and their families. For more information, visit pn3policy.org.
