Letter from Mindy
Dear Friends,
This weekend marks the beginning of summer in Georgia. My favorite part of the long summer days is that the extra hours of daylight give me time to enjoy my neighbors, my family, and my friends. It seems that summer provides more relaxed time for conversations and for catching up with one another.
GEEARS has been engaged in listening, too. Just last week, we hosted Georgia's first Strolling Thunder event, where families had the opportunity to share the joys and challenges of raising young children with their elected officials in the Metro Atlanta region. We asked families to describe their vision of a family-friendly city. We have also completed a round of gatherings on school readiness in four locations around the State that provided robust conversation about how schools, early education programs, and communities can work together. You can read about these conversations in this newsletter.
We know that learning doesn’t stop in the summer, and we are committed to ensuring that young children and their families have resources to make each summer an enriching one! We are so pleased to be able to continue our summer reading clubs for the 6th summer, with funding from PNC, the United Way of Greater Atlanta, and the Sandra Dunagan Deal Center for Early Literacy and Learning. We are looking forward to the summer months, when our partners in Atlanta, Columbus, DeKalb County, and Newton County will host summer reading club events in their communities.
We want to wish all the candidates who ran in yesterday’s primary election in Georgia a hearty thank you for stepping up to lead. We extend our congratulations to both the winners of the primaries and those who made it to July run offs! We know that candidates for office will be listening to voters all summer, and we hope that you will talk to them about the importance of early learning and childhood development. For fact sheets and other resources, check out our resources page.
You can get involved with our efforts by attending events, participating in our action alert requests, sharing this newsletter with others, and by making a donation to support our work.
I hope you have a safe and happy Memorial Day weekend,
Mindy
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GEEARS convenes School Readiness Framework discussions around the state
In late 2017, GEEARS released a Framework for School Readiness in Georgia. The Framework outlines the central tenets of school readiness and the specific roles various stakeholders—including educators, education leadership, policymakers, and others—play in promoting it. Over the course of the last several months, GEEARS has partnered with education and community leaders in four locations across the state to help the Framework come to life. Through strategic community conversations, early childhood and elementary educators and education leaders worked together to explore the Framework, identify opportunities for collaboration and birth-eight alignment, and develop guidance for early childhood and local school systems across Georgia.
These convenings were hosted in Carrollton (Carroll County), Columbus (Muscogee County), Brunswick (Glynn County), and Gwinnett County. The meeting products will aid the respective communities in their ongoing work to promote school readiness and improved alignment, and allow GEEARS to develop more specific guidance for school systems and communities across the state. Many thanks to the local attendees whose commitment and insights made these conversations a success!
We are sharing a few quotations from participants below:
“I wanted to let you know how much I enjoyed and learned from the [meeting] earlier this week. You and your team were great and [we] have expanded out network significantly as a result. Thank you.”
“This is so important. This is the foundation; it makes all the difference. It’s a moral and ethical imperative to make sure all kids experience a quality early childhood education….We will use this framework to help improve [our community].”
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GEEARS launches the first cohort of Early Education Ambassadors
GEEARS has selected involved parents, grandparents, teachers, and community members to form the first cohort of Early Education Ambassadors. This group is currently learning about the value and benefits of high-quality early education for children. The Ambassadors will attend a series of four workshops before beginning their work in the community.
The workshops are tailored toward communications training and educating the Ambassadors about the early learning options that are available in Atlanta. In addition, the workshops ave focused on community resources, the enrollment process, and registration fees for childcare providers in the area. Active discussions on leadership and team building have been embedded in each session. The cohort has been trained by experts from GEEARS and our partners such as Atlanta Public Schools, and the United Way of Greater Atlanta. They have also received informational resources from the YMCA, Sheltering Arms, and other child care providers in the targeted areas.
This team of Ambassadors will serve as a force for early education in Atlanta Public Schools' Washington and Douglass clusters. They will promote high-quality early learning and will educate their communities about its importance.
To learn more, contact our Pre-K Recruitment Specialist, Dawan Barfield at dbarfield@geears.org
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2018 Mayor’s Summer Reading Club launches on June 1
The Mayor’s Summer Reading Club (MSRC) is a program for children ages birth to five and their families that takes place in locations throughout the City of Atlanta over the summer. The program designates a city-wide book choice for infants and for children ages 2-5, and distributes approximately 20,000 free copies of this book to families through our partner organizations. Throughout the summer, libraries, museums, farmers’ markets, and other institutions in Atlanta will hold “book club reads” to model research-based methods of reading books with children and will host enrichment events based upon the stories. The books will come to life as children enjoy arts and crafts activities, drama exercises, and other hands on activities designed to make the language in the stories meaningful to children. This year, the program has been replicated in both Columbus and Newton County.
The reading club will utilize public-private partnerships to:
- Continue building vocabulary and reading skills in children birth to eight over the summer
- Coach parents on how to better engage with their kids around reading
- Improve reading and literacy rates among children in the City of Atlanta
2018 Book Selections
Tumble Bumble
By Felicia Bond
Ages: 0-2 years
Written and illustrated by Felicia Bond, the illustrator of the bestselling If You Give…series, Tumble Bumble is a fun-filled tale of a tiny bug that goes for a walk and meets all kinds of creatures! When a tiny bug decides to go for a walk, anything can happen! He might meet a cat, a crocodile, a pig, or even a bee to dance and play with, and that means more friends for everyone.
Seed Magic
By Jane Buchanan, Illustrated by Charlotte Riley-Webb
Ages: 3-5 years
Rose and her brothers mock the old Birdman, who sits in his wheelchair surrounded by ugly gray pigeons. The Birdman thinks his pigeons are beautiful, but the only things Rose thinks are beautiful are gardens full of red and yellow and blue flowers. The Birdman fills Rose’s hand with seeds and tells her they are magic if she plants them outside her window they will grow a garden. Her brothers don’t believe, but Rose sets the seeds out and waits. Soon, just as the Birdman promised, a garden appears before her eyes a musical flurry of blue and red and yellow birds, drawn to Rose’s window by seed magic.
2018 MSRC Kickoff Event
You’re invited to join us for the 2018 MSRC Kickoff Event where we will enjoy a morning a storytelling, literacy activities, special character appearances, and more! This event is free and open to the public, see more details below:
Date: Friday, June 1, 2018
Time: 10:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
Location: Atlanta Fulton Public Library - Central Branch
1 Margaret Mitchell Square
Atlanta, GA 30303
Admission: Free
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Atlanta Early Education Leadership Council meetings and resources
The Atlanta Early Education Leadership Council (AEELC) was created by GEEARS, in partnership with individuals and organizations across the city, to address the early education needs of Georgia’s children. It represents Atlanta’s many assets and strong partners committed to serving Atlanta’s youngest children and their families.
The Atlanta Early Education Leadership Council consists of leaders from the areas of education, business, communication, the nonprofit sector, and local government. Members of the council include the Mayor, City Council President, the Commissioner of DECAL, the APS Superintendent, as well as community, early education, and business leaders. By bringing this group together, our goal is to develop a shared vision, bold yet actionable strategies, and the funding and citywide commitment needed to sustain this work to ensure that all children in Atlanta have the opportunity to reach their full potential. The group will unveil its recommendations to the public this Fall.
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Short film on early childhood education
GEEARS partnered with Emory University's Center for Ethics for a project that partnered artists and organizations focused on social engagement. We worked with filmmaker, Tara Olayeye, and several Emory University students to create this film that features GEEARS staff members and the staff and children at Druid Hills Child Development Center, a Quality Rated provider.
GEEARS is excited to have this resource to share when explaining the complex work on which we focus. We hope you enjoy it, and that you will share it with your networks.
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Congressional funding increase
On March 22nd, Congress passed an omnibus spending bill, and GEEARS joined our partners around the country in celebrating the fact that the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) program funding was doubled, to $5.8 billion in funding over two years – the largest increase in the grant’s history. This is a tremendous accomplishment and creates new opportunities for child care We thank those of you who answered our requests to advocate for this increase and we especially thank the members of Congress who voted in support of the bill.
Please sign up here for GEEARS’ advocacy alerts so that we can keep you updated on state plans for the increased funds as well as additional opportunities to advocate in the future.
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Think Babies and First 2000 Days Campaign Update
GEEARS has been selected as a trusted partner of ZERO TO THREE’s national Think Babies™ campaign to bring together stakeholders from across the public and private sectors to advance policies that ensure infants, toddlers, and families what they need to thrive.
Our brains grow faster between the ages of 0 and 3 than at any later point in our lives. We need to invest in programs and policies that support early brain development in infants and toddlers, because they yield significant returns in the long run through more years of education, more employment, and better health as an adult. That’s why ZERO TO THREE created the Think Babies™ campaign: to make their potential our national priority.
The Think Babies campaign is designed to bring national attention to the many issues that affect what babies and families need to thrive. We have incorporated the Think Babies messaging and materials into our Georgia First 2000 Days Campaign.
GEEARS, along with the Georgia Infant-Toddler Coalition, will focus on the following priorities which are aligned with the national campaign:
- Quality, affordable child care
- Healthy physical and emotional development
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Strolling Thunder GA: A storm of advocacy for infants and toddlers
On Saturday, May 12th, GEEARS partnered with ZERO TO THREE to host Strolling Thunder in Atlanta and bring parents from around Metro Atlanta together to urge their elected representatives to make babies’ care and development a priority in 2018 and beyond.
Families enjoyed a fun morning of activities along with an opportunity to speak with their city, county, and state elected officials about issues that matter to them. State Senator Nikema Williams and Fulton County Commissioner Natalie Hall both spoke at the event and shared their support for improving the lives of infants and toddlers in Georgia. For some parents, it was a unique opportunity to advocate for their children in a setting that was family-friendly and informal. It’s all part of the Think Babies campaign to call on all policymakers to invest in infants, toddlers, and their families, and GEEARS is leading the Think Babies campaign in Georgia.
Click here to read the Op-Ed on the event.
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Bookmark our AmazonSmile link for shopping
When you make your Amazon purchases through this very easy link, http://smile.amazon.com/ch/46-4250104, Amazon will donate 0.5% of the price of eligible purchases to GEEARS. This is an easy way to support our efforts! Please share this link with friends and family who shop on Amazon. You can bookmark the link to make it easy to remember to use.
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Allison Smith-Burk joins the GEEARS team as the Infant-Toddler Policy Manager
As our new Infant-Toddler Policy Manager, Allison will support our policy and advocacy initiatives affecting young children and families. She will be responsible for aiding in the development and advancement of an infant and toddler focused policy agenda with our community partners, local, state and federal agencies and governments, and with funders. Additionally, Allison will be instrumental in strengthening our coalition work, collaboration with stakeholders, management of special events and production of materials to support our efforts of advancing policy that promotes positive outcomes for infants and toddlers in Georgia.
Allison has special expertise in public policy and systems advocacy. Allison earned her Bachelor of Social Work and her Master of Social Work degrees at The University of Georgia. Allison comes to GEEARS after 12 years at the Georgia Coalition Against Domestic Violence, where she served as the Director of Public Policy and lobbyist for the organization. Prior to this work, Allison worked for many years in public child welfare at the Clarke County Department of Family and Children Services, and in homelessness intervention at the Athens Area Homeless Shelter.
You can send Allison a warm welcome at asmith@geears.org.
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Greg Barrett selected as new GEEARS Project Manager - Leadership Academy for Better Brains (LABB)
Greg Barrett joins the GEEARS team as the newly created Project Manager for the Leadership Academy for Better Brains (LABB) umbrella initiative. In his role, Greg will manage two of GEEARS’ current events, the Conversations on Early Childhood Speaker Series and the Early Education Bus Journey. Additionally, Greg will lead the development of a joint training/collaboration between early learning program directors and elementary school leaders as well as an early education training/advocacy program for parents of young children.
Since launching his career as an early elementary teacher in NYC and abroad, Greg has been passionate about our youngest learners from the start. Building from his B.A. in American Studies from Amherst College, Greg earned his M.Ed. from Hunter College School of Education while teaching in a Brooklyn public elementary school, before teaching again overseas in Hangzhou, China. Previous to working with GEEARS, he was involved in expanding families’ access to Pre-K in New York City through the Pre-K for All initiative, and later consulted school districts as a learning environment planner. He is currently an Accredited Learning Environment Planner, and a member of the A4LE Georgia Chapter.
You can send Greg a warm welcome at gbarrett@geears.org.
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Meagan Jackson joins GEEARS as a Fellow
Meagan joined GEEARS in March as our Infant-Toddler Communications Fellow and is responsible for assisting with all forms of communication for the advocacy of infants and toddlers. Her role includes assisting with social media, website updates, writing, note-taking, fact sheet development, and more. She also attends relevant meetings and events related to infant/toddler policy development and implementation.
Born in Tennessee, but raised here in Atlanta, Meagan is well-rounded from living in both a small town, and the big city. As a Gates Millennium Scholar, she graduated from Clark Atlanta University with a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre Arts. She is currently completing her Master of Public Health at Georgia State University. She combines her passion for people and love of service to help better the lives of those in her community and around the world.
You can send Meagan a warm welcome at mjackson@geears.org.
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Release of the 2017 Annual Report
We issued our very first annual report this year. The 2017 Annual Report includes an overview of our strategic framework, visual representations of our statewide, national, and digital impact, highlights of our public engagement, and advocacy efforts. We have tried to reflect the essence of GEEARS, the passion that we feel about working to improve outcomes for young children and their families, our deep appreciation for our partners, and some examples of our accomplishments.
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GEEARS' Suggested Reads...
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Please consider supporting GEEARS’ advocacy efforts by making a donation that will support Georgia’s earliest learners and their families. Your tax-deductible donation supports our work as early childhood advocates and the leaders of this movement.
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