The History & Critical Importance of Juneteenth
On “Freedom’s Eve,” or the eve of January 1, 1863, the first Watch Night services took place. On that night, enslaved and free African Americans gathered in churches and private homes all across the country awaiting news that the Emancipation
Spotlight on Social-Emotional Learning: Learn How to Make a Scripted Story
Making Scripted Stories for Home and School Scripted stories can be a valuable visual tool in the classroom and at home! Scripted stories can help a child understand what to expect during new situations or everyday routines and provide examples of
June is Pride Month
"Colorful, uplifting parades with floats and celebrities, joyous festivals, workshops, picnics, and parties are among the principal components of LGBTQ (Gay) Pride Month, which is celebrated in June in the United States. Pride Month commemorates years of struggle for civil
Full Workshop Recording of the National Alliance on Mental Illness
On May 25, 2022 Paul Brainerd, the Director of Community Outreach, and Grace Grinnell, Director of Youth Services were our guests to teach us of all the supports that NAMI has to offer to families and individuals in Connecticut. If
MWM-CT: Nurturing the Little Scientists in All Young Children, Webinar Recording
In case you missed MWM-CT Webinar, Nurturing the Little Scientist in all Young Children on May 18, 2022, you can catch the whole recording and download the slide deck here! During the webinar we heard from various leaders in science education
Spotlight on Social-Emotional Learning: A Calm Down Area
The Collective is so pleased to be collaborating with Lisa Swain, ED.S. a consultant to the Office of Early Childhood regarding the Pyramid Model. This week will focus on providing a calm down area for children who need a break or
Parent Leadership at Its Best!
The highlighted brochure and short video was put together by a committee of parent volunteers and professionals from Great by 8 in West Hartford, one of our local collaborative partners, as part of their PLTI Program. PLTI stands for Parent
Million Women Mentors-CT: A Virtual Discussion!
Million Women Mentors-CT Invites you to a join a virtual discussion: Learn why science education is so important for all young children and what initiatives are happening in CT to improve science education Nurturing the Little Scientist in all Young Children STEM for
Connecticut Parent Advocacy Center (CPAC) ~ Watch the full Workshop here!
On April 20, 2022 the Collective welcomed CPAC's Co-Executive Director, Jane Hampton-Smith, to lead an interactive workshop on the services that CPAC can provide to the families, and what services families may need in the aftermath of COVID-19. Connecticut Parent Advocacy
May is Mental Health Awareness Month
Each year millions of Americans face the reality of living with a mental illness. During May, NAMI joins the national movement to raise awareness about mental health. Each year they fight stigma, provide support, educate the public and advocate for
April is Autism Awareness Month
The Choose Love Movement was started by Scarlett Lewis, the mother of Jesse, one of the young victims of the Sandy Hook tragedy in 2012. Soon after, Scarlett decided that she would begin Choose Love Movement with the goal of
Black Maternal Health Week
This year marks the fifth year anniversary of the Black Maternal Health Week (BMHW) campaign. Founded and led by the Black Mamas Matter Alliance, BMHW is a week of awareness, activism, and community building intended to: Deepen the national conversation about
OEC’s Parent Cabinet Inaugural Press Event
On April 7, 2022 during the Week of the Young Child, the Office of Early Childhood officially launched their statewide Parent Cabinet. All fifteen Cabinet members were present at the celebration in downtown Hartford. It was truly a joyous occasion
Week of the Young Child 2022
The Week of the Young Child® is an annual celebration sponsored by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), the world's largest early childhood education association, with nearly 60,000 members and a network of 52 Affiliates. The purpose
April is Child Abuse Prevention Month
Child abuse cuts across all socio-economic groups, races and religions. Most people who abuse or neglect their children are ordinary people whose stressors overwhelm their coping skills. What makes ordinary people lash out at defenseless children? Substance abuse, lack of
April 2nd! Don’t Miss Childhood Conversations/Together We Will Conference!
Join us on April 2, 2022 for our Virtual and FREE One-Day Conference!! It is our hope that our conference will allow you to explore deeper content, make cross-sector connections, and gain perspectives on how to maximize connections within your community.
YWCA 21 Day Stand Against Racism Challenge Launches April 4th
Previously known as the 21-Day Racial Equity and Social Justice Challenge, the Stand Against Racism Challenge: A Virtual Community of Growth is the same program developed by YWCA and adapted nationwide. The SAR Challenge goes live Monday, April 4th, and
Morning Without Childcare
On March 15th, childcare professionals, teachers, advocates, parents, and children gathered in seven locations across the state to advocate for $700 million dollars to help save the struggling childcare system in Connecticut. In Bridgeport, Danbury, New Britain, New Haven, New
Hidden Dangers of Button Batteries
Recently, one of our local early childhood collaborative partners, Enfield KITE (Key Initiatives to Early Education) sponsored a live talk on the Hidden Dangers of Button Batteries. They wanted to share this powerful and moving event with the rest of
March is National Reading Month!
Did you know? March is National Reading Month! We’re joining United Way of Central and Northeastern Connecticut and our partners through the Hartford Campaign for Grade-Level Reading to ask children and families in central and northeastern Connecticut to pledge to read for at
Celebrating Women’s History Month
The 2022 theme for Women's History Month is "Women Providing Healing, Promoting Hope." This theme is "both a tribute to the ceaseless work of caregivers and frontline workers during this ongoing pandemic and also a recognition of the thousands of
Stories to Celebrate Black History Month
In honor of Black History Month, we’re sharing StoryCorps stories that center Black voices in conversations about Black history, identity, struggles, and joy. This collection also includes behind-the-scenes information about some of the stories. Through these broadcasts and animations, you
SEL (Social-Emotional Learning) Day is Only One Month Away!
SEL Day 2022 March 11th—One Month to Go! The Urban Assembly and SEL4US invite you to join us in celebrating the importance of social emotional learning (SEL) on the third annual International SEL Day on March 11, 2022. Our theme this year is Finding
Learn More About the Pyramid Social-Emotional Learning Model
On February 9, 2022, the Collective welcomed Lisa Swain, ED.S. to teach us about the Pyramid Model and all that it has to offer regarding social-emotional learning. We all know that with COVID-19 children of all ages, along with their parents
The Story Behind Black History Month
"With the rise of the civil rights and Black Power movements in the 1960s, young African Americans on college campuses were becoming increasingly conscious of the historic dimension of their experience. Younger members of the ASNLH (which later became the Association for the
Child Care Leaders and Providers Call for Federal Lifeline
On January 25, 2022 Veronica Phelps, the Owner & Operator of My School in East Hampton; Erica Phillips, President of All Our Kin; and Beth Bye, Commissioner of the Connecticut Office of Early Childhood were guests on Connecticut Public Radio's
Intro to Branding and Marketing for Nonprofits
On January 12, 2022 the Collective welcomed Akia S. Callum, M.Ed Director of Community Impact & Marketing for Waterbury Bridge to Success, to speak about how to make sure your local collaborative gets all the recognition it needs and deserves
Neighborhood Assist Grants
State Farm is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year. It's Neighborhood Assist program is in its 11th year and is now accepting more submissions, awarding more grants and spreading good to more communities. This year, the program will award 100 $25,000 grants (vs. 40 grants in previous years) to
A New Year Message from OEC Commissioner Beth Bye
To our Child Care Providers, Happy New Year 2022! We cannot thank you enough for all the hard work, dedication, inspiration, and love you have put into your roles each and every day. The challenges we have faced over the past
State Update on COVID-19 Safety Measures in CT Childcare Centers
Governor Ned Lamont on Monday January 10, 2022 held a news conference to discuss an update regarding ongoing COVID-19 safety measures at Connecticut's childcare centers. He was joined by Office of Early Childhood Commissioner Beth Bye; Monette Ferguson, executive director