The Latest
Nurturing Child Development Through Inclusive Stories: A Conversation with JaNay Brown-Wood
On this episode of the Early Link Podcast, host Rafael Otto sits down with JaNay Brown-Wood, an award-winning children’s author, poet, educator and scholar. She writes about stories that celebrate diversity, inclusivity, self-esteem, and learning.
Becoming Optimistic Leaders for Children with Judy Jablon
On this episode of the Early Link Podcast, Rafael Otto speaks with Judy Jablon, founder and executive director of Leading for Children. Judy discusses her initial leap into the early learning field after working with young children at Bank Street College in New York City, an experience that piqued her curiosity and led her to a career in teaching. She shares her experiences working with educators, being a curious learner, and the importance of being leaders for children. She also talks about her book, The Five Commitments of Optimistic Leaders, and shares how early childhood educators can embrace optimistic leadership. Finally, Judy talks about how an intentional focus on equity is vital in working with adults and educators.
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.
Oregon’s Push for Increased Public Investment
This article was written by Nicole Hsu and originally shared through New America on May 15, 2023. The link can be found here. Across the nation, people are connecting the dots on just how critical strong early childhood infrastructure is for the nation’s...
Bridging Gaps and Nurturing Community through Early Learning in Philomath
In this episode of the Early Link podcast, Rafael Otto joins Abby Couture and Sunny Bennett, the principal and preschool teacher at Philomath Elementary School. Abby and Sunny discuss their stories of getting started in education as well as the moments they began to realize many children were missing out on early learning experiences. They go on to describe the educational environment in Philomath, where they partner with LBCC and Strengthening Rural Families to provide more opportunities for toddlers and pre-k students. They also share their positive experience as part of Children's Institute's Early Learning Academy, highlighting the inspiring sense of community, information sharing, and resource recommendations it provided.
The Power of Preschool Promise
Preschool Promise is providing opportunities for more young children in Oregon to access high-quality early learning and care. In 2015, Children’s Institute collaborated with 34 partner organizations to support Preschool Promise legislation. After its successful passage, the program launched in 2016 across nine regions, as a part of a larger statewide initiative to improve early childhood education, and partners with public and private providers to expand access to preschool and support the diverse needs of Oregon families.
Putting Children First: A Call to Action for Lawmakers
Oregon faces many crises right now, but the needs of our children should be an urgent priority in this legislative session. Investments in early childhood are among the most important investments we can make. And while Oregon has made progress in this area, we must continue to invest in and strengthen the opportunities we create for children and families across the state.
Talking to Kids About Success
In partnership with Oregon Humanities, we interviewed students in second, fifth, and sixth grades from Vose Elementary and Yoncalla Elementary to see what they think about success and where their ideas of success come from. In this episode of The Detour, we captured wit, wisdom, jokes, and meaningful conversation with some incredible young people. Their messages are clear, thought-provoking, and chock-full of wisdom and wit.
What We’re Reading: Early Educator Voices in Oregon
Creating excellent early care and learning opportunities for children begins by supporting the skilled educators and caregivers behind the work. Too often, inadequate working environments and poor compensation cause significant difficulties for those trying to offer the best quality education and care. These conditions have been overlooked in the past despite their direct impact on skill development, teaching effectiveness, and well-being of providers and children. But with sustainable support strategies and in-depth analysis of areas in need of improvement, Oregon can transform the working environments of early educators for the better.
What We’re Reading: Preschool for All
What if there were a way to connect every 3- and 4-year-old in Multnomah County to free, inclusive, culturally responsive preschool experiences? This inspiring goal is coming to life through Preschool for All, a program built through long-term community engagement with parents, educators, policymakers, organizations and early childhood specialists. In just one year, Preschool for All has made the dream of preschool possible for more than 700 children at 47 sites in 16 zip codes across Multnomah County.
