Austin, First Lady tour Pre-K program at Maxwell AFB
WASHINGTON (AFNS) -- Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III and First Lady Dr. Jill Biden met at Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama, Sept. 13, to witness how prekindergarten courses are going at Maxwell Elementary and Middle School.
In March 2023, Austin announced that the Defense Department would expand full-time, universal prekindergarten to all Department of Defense Education Activity schools both in the United States and abroad. The effort came as part of Austin's “Taking Care of Our People” effort, which kicked off in November 2021.
At the school, Austin and Biden observed how children as young as four years old participated in a variety of activities that were part of the prekindergarten educational program. Lessons on alphabet familiarization and block-building were included. Some students also sang a song for the secretary and first lady.
