In this episode, Mike Petters, President and CEO of Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII), discussed with CED President Bernard Bailey why early childhood education is vital to national security. “Nothing is more important than to ensure that our children will thrive in a rapidly changing world. I don’t just believe early childhood education in America is a national security issue. I believe it is the national security issue,” Petters wrote in an op-ed in February 2019.

Seeing a direct link between early childhood education and national security, Petters, who heads America’s largest shipbuilding company employing more than 40,000 people, started a scholarship fund by declining his annual salary (minus $1) that awards up to $3,000 to each qualified employee for preschool expenses. The HII scholarship is also available to employees who are pursuing postsecondary education. Since its inception four years ago, the company has awarded or renewed 578 scholarships valued at more than $1.5 million. Administered by Scholarship America, applications are selected based on academic and financial needs.