YMCA of Metropolitan Atlanta’s Post

Investing in quality early childhood education has significant long-term benefits for children, families, and communities. This is imperative because it sets a strong foundation for lifelong learning and helps children develop essential skills. By fully funding early ed, we can ensure equitable access to high-quality education for all children, giving them a fair start in life. It should not be controversial to prioritize our children's future and support their early educational journey. #EarlyEd #QualityEducation #InvestInOurChildren

In 2021, California made historic investments in early learning to expand transitional kindergarten (TK) to serve all of California’s 4-year-olds. Transitional kindergarten began in California in 2012 as a free public school program for 4-year-olds who were not yet eligible for kindergarten (a non-compulsory grade). Yet by 2019, just 28 percent of Black and 31 percent of Latinx 3- and 4-year-olds were enrolled in high-quality early learning programs in California. Read our seven recommendations for state leaders, local education agencies (LEAs), and community members and advocates to ensure that the implementation of universal TK leads to equitable outcomes: bit.ly/3pZjacv

Wish you were here with your family this half term?! 😎 So do most independent school parents! Something that goes under the radar all too often is just how many sacrifices many parents make in order to be able to send their children to an independent school 🙏🏻 It ain't four holidays a year, weekly cinema trips, new trainers every month and...and...and... for many families who choose to give their children an independent education ❌ The power of choice in education is absolutely critical and clearly some choices come at a greater financial cost than others. At Chatsworth Schools we never take for granted the amazing lengths many of our parents go to to be able to send their children to one of our schools because they believe that we are the best place for their child to be educated. That is a huge privilege that brings a welcome pressure on all of us to continue to do all we can for every one of our children 💜 As Andrew Lewer MP said last week, we must encourage parents to aspire for the best education for their children. And that 'best' might be an independent education. It equally may not. Either way, we should never underestimate the personal and financial sacrifices parents are going through right now to keep their children in independent schools because they believe in us, what we do, and the positive impact we're having on their children. That's why most of the Chatsworth Schools Team is ploughing on through half term. Because we owe it to our staff, our parents, and most importantly our children to do all we can to enable the outstanding futures our parents aspire to and our children deserve. The sun tan will have to wait! #gratitude #powerofchoice #nevercomplacent #alwayspushing #aspiration

British Columbia increases funding for Early Childhood Educators On May 24, 2024, the government of British Columbia announced additional funding to support early childhood educators (ECEs). The ECE Education Support Fund will receive an extra $45 million, benefiting new ECE students and those currently upgrading their credentials. Managed by Early Childhood Educators of BC (ECEBC), the fund provides up to $5,000 per semester for eligible ECE students. An additional $11 million is allocated for new and ongoing professional learning opportunities. This funding supports the ECE Peer Mentoring and Early Years Professional Development Bursary programs. The ECE Education Support Fund is backed by provincial investments and federal funding under the 2021-22 to 2025-26 Canada-British Columbia Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement.

With two years of free kinder, enrolments are soaring, surpassing national averages. This initiative has led to positive changes in early childhood education, making Victoria a leader in the field. Not-for-profits like Meli are thriving, enrolling 261 children in just nine months! The surge in demand signifies families recognizing the importance of kickstarting their child's learning journey. While there are challenges, the success of free kinder is evident in the increased accessibility and enthusiasm for early education. https://lnkd.in/geiSeGth

The Preschool Development Grant Birth through Five (PDG B-5) is pivotal to improving the quality of early childhood education in this country. This program plays an essential role in making sure child care programs are as effective and efficient as possible. In a nutshell, federal PDG B-5 dollars are used by states to make programs better, building much needed infrastructure and helping multiple systems and agencies get streamlined and work together. The end goal? A system that brings high-quality early education to more working families and helps millions of children have access to safe, quality child care and early learning that can help set them on a strong path for their futures. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/dx-7fwQp

"The Early Childhood conference with NCAIS talked about ways to cultivate independence in your classroom as well as ways that parents can implement it at home. It had great ideas for how in each room of your house you can create independence - having a plant for your child to water, stools in each room, plates at their eye level, mirrors at their eye level etc. This independence is then reinforced in the school environment. The Early Childhood conference also discussed fine motor skills and how a lot of the wrist and palm strength starts in the shoulder - doing activities above their head such as cutting paper up the wall helps strengthen their shoulder which further strengthens the wrist and forearm. The conference focused on talking to parents about non-academic issues and that we always need to remind the parents that we are a team working together to help their child succeed. I chose this program because at the beginning of the year I had a lot of children who needed extra support in fine motor skills as well as growing in their independence - to which this conference addressed those areas of concern perfectly. I thought this early childhood conference would also be beneficial as I developed a program for the new Junior Kindergarten class at Woodlawn. This was my first time attending a conference by myself but I really enjoyed being around like minded individuals who were all equally eager to learn ways that we can help our children reach their full potential." Abigail Kuligin JK Lead Teacher __________________________________________ The 'Blazer Fund Empowers Woodlawn School Faculty and Staff with Professional Development Opportunities. At Woodlawn School, we believe that the key to a successful educational institution lies not only in ensuring that our students receive the best education but also in providing unparalleled professional development opportunities for our esteemed educators. By supporting our educators' pursuit of higher education, we unlock a world of possibilities and provide them with the tools to deliver even greater transformative learning experiences for our students. #woodlawnschool #projectbasedlearning #pbl #professionaldevelopment #supportingourleaders #supportteachergrowth #woodlawncommunity #lifelonglearners #ncais #independentschools #ncprivateschool

🏫✨Don't miss out on the opportunity to join an IEM Charter School and our amazing educational community! There are3 FREE Public Charter Schools where parents choose, and students succeed! See more about our IEM Charter Schools and the areas we serve here: https://ieminc.org #OpenEnrollment2024 #OceanGroveCharterSchool #PersonalizedLearning #EducationMatters #ChartersWork #iemschools #homeschool #individualizedlearning

Last week's edition of the Schools Bulletin featured a half term message from Rachael Wardell Executive Director - Children, Families and Lifelong Learning. If you've not had a chance to read it yet, then click the link below. https://lnkd.in/deg7uAcB #education #educationservices #NoOneLeftBehind