Tuesday was Mississippi Early Childhood day at the capitol, and Hattiesburg decided to celebrate the event locally. The Hattiesburg Excel by 5 hosts its annual community leaders breakfast.

If you’re in the mood for some jokes for a cause, a comedy show will be held in Petal to help raise money for the city’s Excel By 5 chapter.

Hattiesburg Excel By 5 is launching a new campaign to encourage families to put cell phones and iPads away during meals or other family activities.

The Library of Hattiesburg, Petal, and. Forrest County held a Community Literacy Day. The event was the first in two years and put together by the library, Hattiesburg Parks & Recreation, Excel by 5, the Hattiesburg Early Learning Collaborative and United Way.

A fun and interactive Easter event hosted by Excel by 5 along with Beau Rivage and Biloxi High volunteers happened on the Biloxi Town Green today.

The City of Petal recently received its 5th recertification as an Excel by 5 Early Childhood Community. Petal is the one of the longest lasting Early Childhood Communities in the state, having been the first city in Mississippi to receive the designation in 2006.

The Hattiesburg Excel By 5 organization held its first meeting of the year to discuss the importance of child development.

One of the biggest fundraisers of the year by Excel By 5, the Duck Derby is set to kick-off for the third time.

Excel By 5 kicked off its “Readiness by Reading” program Tuesday evening with a reading event held at Zaxby’s in Petal.