Community Services Office (CSO)

–  Community Services Office (CSO), Head Start program, Hot Springs, AR

Head Start blocks logo

CSO Head Start has a yearly training for all employees on cultural sensitivity that includes a brief class on Spanish phrases that are useful to the staff. The community relations coordinator brings in programs from different cultures to share with the children and make them feel more at home. Mariachi singers, American Indian (from local tribes) speakers, black heritage historians, and successful people from our different cultures are represented in our Head Start. Parents also bring ethnic or local foods, music, and stories into the classrooms. Celebrations of different cultures are held for Mexican Independence Day, Black Heritage, and American Indian Day; a Multicultural Week Celebration of many countries is also held. We have bilingual staff on campus, including a teacher who receives the majority of those students, and a case manager who also helps translate all documents needed and serves as a translator at programs or meetings, etc. Our male involvement group brings in local activities such as fishing and sporting events.