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PreschoolEducators and WorkforceProfessional Learning

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.

This image shows a black and white phot of three children reading together.
PreschoolBenefits of PreschoolFeatured ProgramsWhat We're Reading Equity

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.

This image shows a black and white photo of a group of children sitting and holding books over their faces. The text says "What We're Reading"
PodcastHealth and DevelopmentHome VisitingParents and Families

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. 

Podcast

Honoring Children with Dr. Dolores Subia BigFoot

The Early Link Podcast is back with a new episode! In this segment, our host speaks with Dr. Dolores Subia BigFoot. Dr. BigFoot is a presidential professor in the Department of Pediatrics, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, and directs the Indian Country Child Trauma Center where she is recognized for her efforts to bring traditional American Indian practices and beliefs into the formal teaching and instruction of professionals working with Native populations.

Dr. Dolores Subia BigFoot
Health and DevelopmentBrain DevelopmentEducators and Workforce

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.

Social-Emotional Learning in the classroom