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Early Learning Nation

The Gathering Place for #Brainbuilding Communities
August 2021, Issue #13
Is anyone else feeling like time is simultaneously standing still while speeding by? An entire summer has flashed by just like that and friends on social media are already posting pics of the harbinger leaves turning to autumn in their neighborhoods. Our late-summer harvest of stories provides deeply satisfying examples of how committed individuals are building brains and cultivating community nationally and right where they live: urban and rural alike. Grab your fave sweater, wrap up and read on!
Dad bod, anyone?
Women come of age steeped in conversations about reproduction. Men? Not so much. Other than jokes about sleepless nights, sexual slowdown and “dad bod,” typically little attention has been paid to a man’s transition into parenthood. For the health of families, it might be time. Dr. Darby Saxbe, associate professor of Psychology at the University of Southern California speaks with contributor K.C. Compton about this critical transition for men.
The Family-Friendly North American City
Over half the world’s children live in cities. Despite this, urban environments can feel built to deter kids and caretaking. Montreal, teeming with green space and pedestrian-friendly neighborhoods, is an inspiring example of what’s possible. It’s not by luck. It’s a city where considering family needs feels baked into urban planning. Kendra Hurley shows how.
Breaking News!
We take such pleasure in announcing the launch of a new monthly column, “Elliot's Provocations” by Elliot Haspel, early childhood and K-12 education policy expert. We love the title as it reflects what we hope to do—provoke thought, invite conversation. Did you know that a “provocation” is what early childhood educators call prompting kiddos to engage with an idea? “Elliot's Provocations” will break down current events in the early learning world as it looks to a brighter future. The first column will focus on the opportunity and dangers for early learning in the $3.5 trillion reconciliation package. Get ready. We’re taking it live on September 1.
More than a “Gym and a Swim”
Contributor Mark Swartz explores three YMCAs—in Raleigh, Cincinnati and Phoenix—that are building stronger systems for all through partnerships, collaboration, expanded services, and corporate and philanthropic support. Trish Kitchell, VP of Youth Development at the YMCA of Greater Cincinnati, says, “Collaboration increased with public libraries and other community partners. We dropped the walls and came together. And now everyone is looking around at what we accomplished, and we’re saying, ‘Let’s not rebuild those walls.’”
Bold Vision to Create Early Learning Districts
What if, as a counterpart to public school districts for children five and under, we had “early childhood districts” adapted to the early childhood context? This bold vision may offer a key for unlocking many of the tricky doors blocking our progress towards an effective early childhood system. Policy expert Elliot Haspel lays it out in this new white paper for the think tank Capita. (We love Capita, by the way, where you can also sign up for Haspel’s biweekly newsletter “The Parents Aren’t Alright!)
The Poverty Tracker
Robin Hood and the Center on Poverty and Social Policy at Columbia University partner on the Poverty Tracker, a groundbreaking study of poverty in NYC. Unlike typical surveys that take an annual snapshot, this longitudinal approach—the same 4,000 households every quarter for several years—provides a dynamic view of poverty over time. The new one focuses on the child care crisis in NYC. Ayana Bartholomew and Loris Toribio report for Early Learning Nation.
Also this month:
  • Are you reading Community Cultivators? This column showcases extraordinary people who are cultivating global communities. This month, Mark Swartz interviews the remarkable Reshma Saujani, founder of Girls Who Code and the Marshall Plan for Moms. And, check out our archives for interviews with singer/songwriter Mary Gaultier, theater director Ping Chong, PBS host/author/professor Henry Louis Gates, Jr, Astronaut Jessica Meir, Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden, historian/author Ken Burns, the Public Theater Artistic Director Oskar Eustis, and lots more.
     
  • 5 Questions for Governor Jay Inslee: Our partner—The Hunt Institute—created another inspiring interview this month featuring Washington’s Governor Jay Inslee who lays out the top Early Learning challenges and successes in the Evergreen state. He says, “I’m proud to see the near completion of a child care center on our state capital campus. Quality child care should be available and affordable for all working parents, and having a child care center near the workplace will encourage prospective employees to view the state as an employer of choice. I’m looking forward to seeing this model replicated by other employers in Washington.”
     
  • Top Takeaways. Because we can’t take our Early Learning Nation Studio on the road, we’re covering virtual events from the field. Check out Mark Swartz’s Top Takeaways in August: the U.S. Chamber of Commerce #TalentForward Child Care Webinar; Promise Venture Studio’s Equity Ventures in Early Education; and Promise Venture Studio’s Advancing Birth Equity and Justice. Surf the archives.
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Early Learning Nation is an independent, nonprofit magazine devoted to early learning. Original content—local + national news, features, interviews—focuses on brain building and community building with early learning professionals, parents, policymakers, scientists and community leaders.

Early Learning Nation is an initiative of the Bezos Family Foundation.
Early Learning Nation Bezos Family Foundation 1700 7th Ave Ste 116 Seattle, WA 98101-1323 USA
info@earlylearningnation.com
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