By By Chandler Myers
Atmore's most recent addition to the educational society, HIPPY (Home Instruction for the Parents of Preschool Youngsters) will be receiving some publicity in an unlikely place, the Miss Troy University program on Jan. 30.
Rachel Ellis, a graduate of Escambia Academy and a junior majoring in broadcast journalism at Troy, is competing in Miss Troy and has decided to use HIPPY as her platform to raise awareness about the organization.
Ellis said that the whole experience is more about HIPPY and its educators.
"I want to do this for HIPPY more than I'm doing it for me," she said. "I want to be their voice, so people can learn about them and maybe decide that it's the right thing to have their child be a part of."
As a part of HIPPY being her platform, Ellis had to write an essay to be submitted for Miss Troy.
In her essay, Ellis states the importance of HIPPY, what the educators do and what Miss America could do for the organization.
To open her essay she states the importance of learning fundamentals to hold a pencil before you are able to write and where HIPPY comes into play.
" Before writing your name on your paper, you have to know how to hold the pencil,” she said in her essay. “It is the critical details we learn as children that are paramount to building the foundation for success in the future. The home instructors of the HIPPY (Home Instruction for the Parents of Preschool Youngsters) organization dedicate their time each day to families with limited financial resources who want what is best for their children- education."
In deciding to choose a platform, Ellis decided it would be best to choose one that works with the platform that Miss Alabama uses, the Children's Miracle Network.
Ellis said she thought it would work since both deal with children.
"Miss Troy is a preliminary to the Miss Alabama competition," she said. "Miss Alabama is a part of the Children's Miracle Network, so I decided that HIPPY would be great because it is along the same lines."
Her own role as volunteer with HIPPY has been to help the educators as well as the parents and children in the program.
Ellis said she does whatever she can to make sure that everything runs as smoothly as possible.
"I help with whatever they need me to do," she said. "I practice role playing with them, so they better understand how to interact with the parents, and I also help with the children at the program. The homes I have visited during my experience always have children that are excited about learning and when they learn something new."
Her friends at HIPPY are excited that their organization will be put on display for the attendants of Miss Troy.
Dianne Rose, coordinator for Atmore's HIPPY, said she and the educators with HIPPY are excited that Ellis has the opportunity to speak about HIPPY. She added one of the great things about HIPPY is the different places they have programs at.
"We are elated," she said. "To think that she chose our program is wonderful. A great thing that I think we all enjoy about HIPPY is we are never at the same place every day. We visit different homes and have programs at different places. I think that's fun."
Once the program at Miss Troy takes place, Ellis said she hopes people are excited to know that there is a program like HIPPY around.
"I hope that everyone will be impressed because a lot of people don't know what HIPPY is all about," she said. "It helps parents learn how to teach their children, and not enough people know about it, so I want to get it out there.
Ellis competes in Miss Troy 2010 on Jan. 30 at Troy University.