The Latest
Q&A: A Preschool Teacher in Yoncalla, in Her Own Words
This summer Children’s Institute is highlighting the important work of early childhood educators teaching preschool through third grade. In this series of profiles, teachers from across the state tell us why they teach young children, what they wish people knew...
Strengthening Bonds Between Incarcerated Mothers and Their Young Children
In part I of this two-part story on mothers at Coffee Creek Correctional Facility in Wilsonville, Oregon, we learn about two programs operating within the prison, Head Start and Nurturing Healthy Attachments, that help mothers and their young children form strong...
Meet the Mothers Building Nurturing Relationships With Their Children at Coffee Creek
In Part II of this two-part story on mothers at Coffee Creek Correctional Facility in Wilsonville, Oregon, we learn more about the three mothers who participated in the Nurturing Healthy Attachments pilot program and are still participating in Head Start at Coffee...
Highlights from the South Coast: Working Together for Kids and Families
CI staff and others visit the Lincoln School of Early Learning in Coquille, Oregon. On May 3 and 4, Miriam Calderon (director, Oregon Early Learning System), Martha Richards (executive director, James F. and Marion L. Miller Foundation), and Ericka...
In Early Works, Data Empowers Parents to be Key Decision Makers
For our 23rd segment, we interviewed Dr. Marina Merrill from Children’s Institute (CI) and Dr. Beth Green from Portland State University (PSU). Dr. Merrill is the senior research and policy advisor for CI and leads the organization’s research on prenatal through...
Home Visiting Programs Support Young Children and Families
In this segment, I visited Ha Mi Da and her family at her apartment in Southeast Portland. Ha Mi Da came to the United States from a Burmese refugee camp several years ago and I wanted to learn more about her story, her involvement with home visiting services...
In Yoncalla, Oregon, Community Comes Together to Build a New Preschool Playground
According to Eric Gustafson, “schools are the heart of rural communities,” providing a place for all members of the town to come together. Eric should know. He lives in Yoncalla, a town of just over a thousand people in Douglas County and serves on the school...
Jackson Elementary promotes reading with “Let’s Read” campaign
Principal Kelly Soter of Jackson Elementary in Medford, Oregon continually looks for ways to promote reading for her community’s youngest learners. This year, she pulled together a team of volunteers to participate in the annual Pear Blossom Parade held on April 14...
The Role of Community Engagement in Advancing Health Equity
National Public Health Week, from April 2 through April 8, provided a good reminder of the health equity challenges facing Oregon’s immigrant communities. According to Elena Rivera, Children’s Institute’s senior health policy and program advisor, “Thousands of...
Webinar: Creating Caring and Culturally Responsive PreK–3 Classrooms
“To change the outcomes, we have to change the experiences.” – Dr. Sharon Ritchie Join us for a free webinar exploring strategies to create culturally responsive and emotionally supportive preK–grade 3 classrooms for children from diverse racial and...
