Rural Minnesota county invests early to help kids succeed.

The article discusses the early childhood education programs in Minnesota. The Invest Early project in Itasca County was established in early 2005, but has its roots in an earlier initiative developed in the late 1990s. It aims to provide comprehensive early childhood education for underserved kids. Invest Early has adopted features that are consistent with model programs. These features include well-educated, dedicated instructors and a comprehensive, research-backed curriculum.