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Community Engagement

Teacher-Coordinator Autumn Bevins reads aloud to children and mentors.

Why Don’t We Just Do That?

Over Cocktails, Restaurateurs Hatch a Plan for Literacy

The Editors·August 8, 2019·4 min read

Three years ago, Amanda and John Horne, owners of Anna Maria Oyster Bar in Bradenton, Florida, heard that 51 percent of children in their local Manatee County school system couldn’t read at grade level by third grade. They were appalled. “This was horrific,” Amanda says. “We had no idea that this was an issue.” Over cocktails one night, Amanda and John wondered what they could do. Their clientele is largely composed of older “grandparent-type” people. They have four restaurants and a mailing list of more than 24,000 customers. What if they could pair children up with a grandparent figure or somebody who cares about them, read with them and maybe instill them with a love of reading? Read More

Beth Duda reads to an adorable toddler in a laundromat

Mobilizing Communities So All Children Make the Grade

Pop Up Neighbor events, community, collaboration, mobilization

The Editors·August 8, 2019·10 min read

Even without advance promotion, when word got out that the SuperMatt Laundromat in Sarasota, Florida, was offering free laundry all day, neighborhood residents formed a steady stream of customers. Not only was laundry-and-all-the-fixings free—a boon to low-income families who can ill afford the $35 to $50 a week they spend trying to keep their kids in clean clothes—the food bank was there with abundant food to restock their pantries. Best of all, there were books—lots of books—and plenty of volunteers to read to children while the adults did as many loads of laundry as needed. When the children left, books went home with them. Read More

Bird by Bird: Mya-Rose Craig’s Campaign for the Planet

The Editors·August 7, 2019·5 min read

Mya-Rose Craig, 17-years old, has followed her passion for birds and the environment to create and galvanize a community of activists of all ages. In the process, as a young Muslim woman, she’s been trolled on social media. Not an insurmountable problem, though, as Mya-Rose is keeping her eye on a larger issue: saving the planet. Read More

Wes Moore, CEO of Robin Hood, with Chirlane McCray, First Lady of New York City, at the FUEL launch event at the Brownsville Recreation Center in Brooklyn. Photograph courtesy Office of the First Lady, New York City.

Robin Hood FUELs the Future for Children

Shares Brain Science, Strategically Partners to Create an Early Learning Metropolis

Linda Shockley·July 16, 2019·7 min read

The greatest city in the world. More than 100,000 children 0-3 growing up in poverty. Two facts that are painful to reconcile. This is a job for Robin Hood. Unafraid to challenge the seemingly intractable, the grant maker and all-around poverty fighter combines rigorous data and strategic partnerships with powerhouse fundraising. Here’s the story behind the $50 million, five-year Fund for Early Learning (FUEL) . Read More

Transforming Parent-Child Connections in Incarceration

The Editors·June 27, 2019·7 min read

Trauma, chaos and unrelenting stress can overwhelm anyone’s ability to nurture. For incarcerated parents, these hardships often have been a... Read More

Meeting (and Teaching) Families in Unexpected Places Can Transform Cities

Grocery stores, bus stops, laundromats… what’s next?

The Editors·June 25, 2019·6 min read

School is a great place to learn, but it’s not the only place. No matter how excellent our teachers are, no matter how enriching the curricula, school accounts for only about 20 percent of children’s waking hours. That’s why a growing number of education pioneers are building out nontraditional sites for young minds to develop their language skills and to learn about their world. Read More

Mr. Johnson reading Dr. Seuss to his kids via video

Parenting from Prison, Preparing for Coming Home

The Editors·June 12, 2019·5 min read

2.7 million children (1 in 28) currently have an incarcerated parent. How are programs like the Family Connections Center helping them get ready to be with their families again-- while still behind bars? Read More

Let’s Create An Early Learning Community

Wait, What’s an Early Learning Community?

The Editors·June 1, 2019·6 min read

What is an Early Learning Community? It’s a place where babies are welcomed into families that have all the opportunities and support they need to nurture and promote their children’s early learning and healthy development. Read More

Act Naturally: The Benefits of Wet Hands and Muddy Feet

An Interview with Richard Louv

The Editors·May 22, 2019·9 min read

How do we get today’s kids active and in tune with nature? And if the current generation of young parents missed out on personal experiences with nature, who will teach their children? Read More

Families-learn-to-use-new-materials-together.-Photo_-Front-Room-Photography

Museums Are for Kids: Busting Myths at the Milwaukee Art Museum

The Editors·May 3, 2019·5 min read

The days of shushing kids in museums are long gone. Now, museums large and small, which once earned reputations for strict enforcement of “no talking,” “no touching” and “no fun” rules for kids, actively court families and kids with free days, family memberships, activities, tours and programs, all designed to celebrate and discover art and the creative spirit. Read More