Last Updated on July 16, 2025 12:47 pm
Boone, NC- June 12th, 2025, was a banner day for the Watauga County Children’s Council. The organization executed their Breakfast of Champion’s celebration to highlight the many ways the nearly 50-year-old organization has ambitiously served children and families in our community. As part of the celebration, the organization launched both their new logo and their three-year strategic plan.
The new logo was created in partnership with Derek Stipe, of Stipe Creative. “The image of the kite speaks to the idea of rising and hopeful optimism. Like wind propels and uplifts a kite, our community propels our mission and the children and families we support forward. This imagery helped drive the creation of our new tagline, “Strong Foundations, Soaring Futures. Our designer also applied true color theory to the color palate, selecting colors that evoke calm and trust, balance and renewal, encouragement and joy, and success and optimism,” says Elisha Childers, Executive Director of the Children’s Council. “There are additional brand elements that include a two-toned wave that nod to our beautiful blue ridge mountains.”
The organization’s board and staff took part in a two-day facilitated retreat in the early spring to build the comprehensive three-year plan that will look to spearhead additional funding, help relocate the organization to a new facility, as well as continue outreach to all areas of the county. The strategic plan created quite the buzz, with excited participants jumping at the chance to join the newly created giving circle. Children’s Council Development Director Virgina Ford was overwhelmed by the support of the event. “I was humbled and immensely grateful to see the number of community members that took time out of their day to attend our inaugural ‘Breakfast of Champions'. They came not only to support, but to learn about our work over the past 48 years as well as how our new strategic plan is now propelling forward the future of early childhood in Watauga. Words fall short of describing the feeling of knowing that so many others are passionate about our mission that we all hold so dear.”
The Children’s Council served over 3,100 children, parents and early childhood educators last year and offers an array of programs and services for parents and other caregivers of children during their first years of life. All programs are aimed at strengthening families, producing high quality early childhood education settings, and supporting each child’s healthy growth and development. The Children’s Council’s new tag line, Strong Foundations, Soaring Futures speaks to our mission to provide a strong foundation for children’s learning and development by strengthening families, the early childhood system and our community.
The Children’s Council of Watauga County, Inc. is a 501c3 non-profit organization that serves children, families and early childhood educators in Watauga County, NC. The Children’s Council administers the NC Pre-K program and serves as the Smart Start partnership for Watauga County, NC. The agency is the community’s resource hub for newborns to five-year-olds, families and caregivers. Our primary purpose is to build a strong foundation for all children and their families through parent education and family support programs and services, early care and education programs, and initiatives that engage the community in building a strong early childhood education system. For more information about programs and services, visit www.thechildrenscouncil.org.
