Sometimes making sure your child has their shoes on the right feet before they go to school is enough hard work — but as parents found out Wednesday, there are an array of other lists to check off when it comes to making sure children are prepared for a quality education.

The Dallas County School System hosted a Parents Awareness Fair at the convention center Wednesday to expose parents and students to the many programs and agencies that are available to them and their children. These programs ranged in areas of mental health to talent searches and we applaud the Dallas County School system for hosting this fair.

It’s important that area parents know of all the resources that are available to them. Selma and Dallas County is overflowing with resources that are often times underused, and we belive this needs to change.

Without these programs, children would not have as many opportunities for success. We encourage the school system to host more events like this and expose everything that’s going on in Dallas County.

The program also provided options for how students can further their education and attend higher-education schools. Students and their parents need to be reminded continuously that higher education is possible, it’s just a matter of knowing what programs to participate in and striving to excel both in the community and academically.

We hope that individual schools in Selma and Dallas County mimic what was presented at the fair and continue to make parents aware of all the opportunities that are available to their children. All the resources for academic success are right here —it’s just a matter of knowing what they are and using them.