Health and Development
Yoncalla Early Works: An Ecosystem of Care and Community
This longform piece, written by guest contributor Adriane Blackman, details how Yoncalla Early Works has driven an ecosystem of community and care to support the health and wellbeing of children and families in rural, southern Oregon.
A Decade of Togetherness
The sun dips lower in the sky on a hazy evening in late August, casting a warm golden hue across the football field at Yoncalla High School. The hum of excited chatter sets the scene, and children laugh and play. As the night unfolds, the sounds of music from a live band dance through the air as families mingle and children savor the remaining sunlight, on the cusp of a new school year. Framed by a stunning view of the Umpqua Valley, Yoncalla’s annual community barbecue has become a symbol of togetherness, woven into the fabric of the town.
Early School Success Leadership Camp 2023
Yesterday, Early School Success teams from four school districts across Oregon met up for a first-of-its-kind leadership camp hosted by Children's Institute. Throughout the day, educators and administrators explored methods for creating change at the school and district levels while examining perspectives on identity, collaboration, and psychological safety. Together, these dedicated early education professionals are reshaping their school communities to make a positive impact on children. Read the full story to learn more.
What We’re Reading: Oregon KIDS Count Data
In June, the Annie E. Casey Foundation released its 2023 KIDS COUNT data book with national and state-level data on child well-being across four core areas: economic well-being, education, health, and family and community. The 34th edition of this critical...
Taking Action to Improve Social Emotional Services for Young Children: The Power of Data and Metrics
This is a special production created with our colleagues at the Oregon Pediatric Improvement Partnership (OPIP). OPIP is a public private partnership seeking to create a meaningful, long-term collaboration of stakeholders invested in child health care quality, with the common purpose of improving the health of all children and youth in Oregon. This episode explores recent developments in the health sector here in Oregon meant to improve the care for children ages zero to five.
Toward Human Centered Education: An Interview with Ulcca Joshi Hansen
In this episode of the Early Link Podcast, our host Rafael Otto speaks with Dr. Ulcca Joshi Hansen, interim executive director and chief program officer at Grantmakers for Education, about the need for transformational change in the education system.
Press Release: Public Opinion Supports Expanded Investment in Early Childhood
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contacts Amaury Vogel, Associate Executive Director, Oregon Values and Belief Center avogel@oregonvbc.org, 503.734.6748 Marina Merrill, Director of Research and Strategy, Children’s Institute marina@childinst.org, 503.860.3833 Public opinion...
Home Visiting Provides Personalized Care to New Parents & Strengthens Families
On this episode of The Early Link Podcast, our host Rafael Otto speaks with Jennifer Gould who currently works as a Nurse Home Visitor for the Nurse Family Partnership program with the Multnomah County Health Department. The Nurse Family Partnership is a community based, public health program with 45 years of research showing evidence of significant improvements in the health and lives of first-time moms and their children affected by social and economic inequality.
Setting the Record Straight on Social-Emotional Learning: A Teacher’s Perspective
Social-emotional learning (SEL) has been in the news a lot lately, and this recent surge of news about SEL has come with a good deal of misinformation. In this blog series, we’ll attempt to set the record straight on SEL by exploring the benefits and importance of SEL for young children, highlighting its recent politicization, and understanding what polling tells us about the best way to communicate with parents about the topic.
Setting the Record Straight on Social-Emotional Learning: The Business Case for SEL
Just as early childhood advocates frequently cite the economic case for early learning, proponents of SEL shouldn’t shy away from making the case that teaching social-emotional skills to young children makes good business sense. There are a lot of important reasons for teaching these skills starting at a young age and the fact that these skills will make it easier down the road for students to succeed in the workplace is a fact worth highlighting.
