Health and Development
Thirty Million Words: A Conversation with Dr. Dana Suskind
We recently spoke with Dr. Dana Suskind, founder and director of the Thirty Million Words Initiative, about what inspired her to become an expert on early language development. She also shares some advice on how families can support young children to develop...
Three rural communities come together to create a vision for health
Dr. Beth Green, the researcher who leads the Portland State University team entrusted with the evaluation of the Early Works initiative, is walking down the street in rural Drain, Oregon when she is greeted by a stranger's voice: "Hey! Are you with that Ford Family...
Family Resource Navigator at Earl Boyles is model for schools
"I brought some pictures," Josette Herrera says, handing her cell phone to Josué Peña-Juárez. He grimaces as he looks at the black mold that just keeps coming back around the windows in Herrera's apartment. The two have talked about it before, but Herrera has had...
Parents as Partners: Engaging Families in Schools
Through the Early Works initiative, the Children's Institute has partnered with two Oregon elementary schools - Earl Boyles in Southeast Portland and Yoncalla in Southern Oregon. Family engagement is a core Early Works strategy. This video details the...
2015 MIYB: Keynote by Dr. Karen Mapp
Dr. Karen Mapp, family engagement expert from Harvard University, delivered a keynote address at the Children's Institute's 7th annual Make It Your Business luncheon.
2015 MIYB: 3rd Alexander Award presented to Sue Miller
At its annual event, the Children's Institute and award sponsor Pacific Continental Bank presented the 3rd Annual Alexander Award to Sue Miller, co-founder of the Family Building Blocks Relief Nursery.
Learning Together
Learning Together explores how parents, child care providers and school staff at Earl Boyles Elementary School, one of our Early Works sites, came together to participate in a series of Mind in the Making classes. Read Report...
Stopping the Summer Slide
The summer literacy program is one small piece, but an important one, in the broader Early Works initiativeat Earl Boyles Elementary School. The program is a building block in the effort to close the achievement gap for young children. As Bill Graves finds in this...
Baby Steps Into a Big World
In our newest report, we tell the story of how a publicly funded preschool began at Earl Boyles Elementary School in Portland, and of the many courageous and smart partners who came together to make it work. We hope this story inspires and motivates the needed...
Room to Grow
Communities across Oregon are grappling with an inadequate supply of early childhood facilities. Meanwhile, experts have led the way to a better understanding of how the design of a facility influences a child's development - positively or negatively depending on...