This week, the critical work Ohio's Cradle to Career Initiatives do in their local community was highlighted through a collaboration from Learn to Earn Dayton and the Summit Education Initiative (SEI). Learn to Earn invited state legislators, superintendents, early childhood advocates and community leaders, among others, to a "Cradle to Career Experience" created by the Summit Education Initiative.
The simulation looked at student indicators of success through the life course, from kindergarten readiness to persistence in college and career. The simulation required legislators and other leaders to assume the role of a child in Montgomery County and follow them through their life with all their unique success and challenges. Students then moved along a continuum of prosperity and hardship to demonstrate how children with different advantages and challenges move, or don't move, towards prosperity alongside their more privileged peers. The audience acted as advocates, distributing resources to support the success of all children. The experience was enlightening and the thoughtful learnings from the simulation inspired critical discussions about how local and state policy can promote success for all kids.
The bottom line? All kids need resources, but kids with higher needs need more resources to achieve prosperity.
NEW POLICY RESOURCE
This research tested messages and policies about the importance of supporting the emotional development of young children ages zero to three with voters. -ZERO TO THREE
"High-quality prekindergarten has powerful long-term cognitive effects." - New York TImes