A. Fantis School’s Post

The Importance of Early Learning During the first five years of life, 90% of a child’s brain develops, forming the foundation for future learning. High-quality preschool gives children a strong start on the path that leads to college or a career. Research shows that all children benefit from high-quality preschool. Students who enter kindergarten having developed age appropriate social-emotional and educational skills have greater lifetime success. Both of our collaborating partners (United Way Suncoast and Community Foundation Tampa Bay) invest in the early-education programming which supports progress throughout the region. Examples include funding that helps sustain Thrive by Five Tampa Bay, United4Literacy Kits, The Big Plan and more.

A great poem at the end of this article from an inspiring Intergenerational pioneer Build Bond-fires, A Poem Dedicated to the 2023 Class of Erikson Alumni by Helene Block Fields Light up our world. Light up the darkness of loneliness, separatism, ageism, and egocentrism in our society. Help reconnect the generations through GrandFriendships. Build bond-fires that will remain glowing embers in children’s memories throughout their lives. Build bond-fires of mutual kindness, empathy, character, and love. Bring the young and old together in schools, communities, and families. Listen to their words, their voices. They are sending smoke signals that say, “We need each other”. Let the weakest voices in our society point us back to real strength.

After graduating with my MBA from the University of Florida - Warrington College of Business in Spring 2022, I, untraditionally, decided to continue my education and pursue a Graduate Certificate in Disability Studies from the University of Florida. While I have my own experiences with disability, by no means would I label myself as an "expert” in disability. I recognize the diversity within disability and accept that my experiences are unique to myself. With that in mind, my goal in learning about disability studies was to gain further knowledge on what I can do to make the corporate environment, and our world in general, a place that fosters inclusion and belonging for individuals with disabilities. As part of the certificate program, one of my course assignments was to create a grant proposal (real or fictional) relating to disability. Because I had very minimal familiarity with grant proposals, I was initially worried about the assignment and if I could actually create something meaningful. However, rather than taking the easy way out and writing a fictional grant proposal, I challenged myself to craft something that can be utilized by Laughing At My Nightmare, Inc., where I have the great honor of serving as Board Chair. The majority of individuals and families we assist through the organization do not have the financial resources to independently obtain the equipment or services they need as a result of their disability. Reflecting on this further, I felt that it was essential to provide a sustainable pathway that would hopefully lead to financial independence and security for people with disabilities. I fully believe in the power of education and how it can unlock a higher earning potential and benefits for the disability community, which can then result in independence, but I recognize that barriers often exist. As a result, my grant proposal assignment ultimately led to the creation of the new Laughing At My Nightmare, Inc. Academic Scholarship Program. This year, we are thrilled to offer 1-2 individuals living with muscular dystrophy a full-ride scholarship (covering all tuition, fees, & course materials) to obtain an undergraduate or graduate degree, removing cost-associated barriers to higher education. The application is now available and will remain open until April 5, 2024. It is still difficult for me to fully comprehend how a class assignment, which I was not entirely thrilled about, resulted in an actual scholarship program that will hopefully help so many people with disabilities for years to come. Above all, I am most excited that our future recipients will be able to obtain an education and pursue their dreams. #disability #education #scholarships #scholarshipopportunity #musculardystrophy #nonprofit #LAMN

A 2022 report to Oregon’s Department of Early Learning and Care offers a look into the experiences of LGBTQIA+ families’ experiences with the early childhood system. Families who participated in listening sessions offered recommendations that promote welcoming, safe spaces that respect diversity, inclusion, and LGBTQIA+ values.   At CI, we are working to shift systems towards justice for young children, so they have access to the opportunities they need to thrive! Creating and fostering welcoming and inclusive early learning spaces for LGBTQIA+ families is essential to making sure that ALL children have the love, care, and education they need. #pridemonth Full report 🔗 https://lnkd.in/gResAP-P   Report citation: Authors (alphabetical order). Green, B.L., Houser, C., Reyes, N., Richardson, A., Salazar-Robles, S., (2022). Families’ Experiences with Early Childhood Care: Lessons for Creating Quality Care for Oregon’s LGBTQIA+ Families. Report submitted to the Oregon Early Learning Division, July 2022.

When I was a little girl in Chancellor Avenue School, I can remember all of the teachers who poured into me, and planted seeds that blossomed into confidence and self-esteem. They recognized my gifts and reminded me of them daily. I hold only the fondest memories of my education in Newark Public Schools. While it wasn't perfect, it was special. There was dance and art with Ms. Delamico, music with Ms. Muhammad, woodshop - in Arts High School Television Communications with Mr. Gardner and History with Ms. Whitley. I was class president and president of my major in high school, salutatorian of my 3rd grade class. I still have my friends from those times in Newark Public Schools. My experience as a student fuels my work today with Newark Youth Career Pathways and my commitment to the children of Newark. While I am fully aware that this was my experience, these things existed for all children in my classrooms. There were teachers who looked like us and there was love. Sometimes criticism too. But school was important and real and OURS. These were our community schools. Let's be mindful of how we speak of the public school system that raised us. We can be both critical and honest. When we are both, it provides an opportunity to discuss what worked while also pushing for change. We can grow the programs, opportunities, teaching strategies and best practices that work - but we can't do that if we pretend there aren't any. Looking forward to more conversations about solutions, including those in our memory, own experience, and currently showing promise in our schools. Supporting public education means amplifying the bright spots, while also shining a light on the darkness that kids do not deserve. Collaborative and consciously, we can do the work. First, we must adjust the narrative.

Learn more about the impact of Oakland Promise as we move toward our goals in our inaugural Oakland Promise Annual Report! 🎓

Recently, I've been reflecting on 'What is Community?' which has been an eye-opening journey. Until four years ago, when I became a mother, the concept felt distant—I interacted with cohorts at work and during play. Still, other than my family and immediate friend group, I didn't feel community. My husband and I, unlike our parents—and certainly our grandparents—haven't been deeply rooted in the traditional neighborhood community. I can't tell you the names of our neighbors. Yet, my role at Garden Spot Communities, where creating an intentional community is the foundation, has reshaped my perspective. Here, residents and team members alike have abundant opportunities to live with purpose within a supportive community. The power of community struck me profoundly when my daughter, after a stressful first preschool experience we removed her from last spring, has now found joy in her new preschool setting. She was shielded her first 2.5 years of life—during the early pandemic with the fear of illness. So, hearing her express love and longing for her teacher's presence is nothing short of heartwarming. She's now enveloped in a circle of friends and educators who cherish her, illustrating the profound bonds community can forge. Community is indeed everywhere, but it doesn't flourish without effort. It requires us to be deliberate in our interactions and clear in our expectations. Like all relationships, a community needs time to grow and blossom. As I navigate this journey, I'm learning that while the fabric of community may vary, the need for connection is universal. Let's all take a moment to nurture those ties that bind us together. How are you nurturing community in your life? #CommunityBuilding #IntentionalLiving #GardenSpotVillage #ParentingJourney #PurposefulLiving

What began as a virtual book club for Black men in St. Louis at the start of the pandemic has since evolved into a vital organization dedicated to addressing the youth literacy crisis in the city. Black Men Read was founded by Keyon Watkins in 2020, with a group of about 15 friends meeting virtually to discuss books. However, after a family tragedy in 2022, Watkins was inspired to do more. The death of his brother, whose life was profoundly affected by his inability to read, motivated Watkins to expand Black Men Read. “My older brother was very intelligent,” Watkins shared. “However, he couldn’t read. When you can’t read, your options in life are limited. What could the trajectory of his life have been if he knew how to read?” As of 2021, only 11% of Black K-12 public school students in St. Louis were proficient in reading, compared to 55% of their white peers. St. Louis has struggled for years to improve reading proficiency among its students, but Black Men Read is working to change that. In 2022, the organization began volunteering with Head Start programs to read to preschoolers and later expanded to Barack Obama Elementary School for the second half of the 2023-24 school year. Black Men Read’s literacy efforts are supported by Coalition With STL Kids, an organization committed to “highlighting the racist educational status quo” and holding the local school board accountable for what it views as low expectations for Black students. The work done by Black Men Read and Coalition With STL Kids is crucial to closing the literacy gap among marginalized groups, and their dedication is deeply appreciated. Black Men Read: https://hubs.li/Q02KYrGS0 Source: The 74 Million https://lnkd.in/enYU8rMM #StLouis #ScienceofReading #Education #Missouri #TheLiteracyLab

In 2022, as I was piloting and designing programs for MoW, Eric Rowe recommended a read "Design for Belonging" by Susie Wise from The Stanford d.school. This transformative book reshaped the way we approached community engagement within our Montessori on Wheels program both in Denver and abroad. As a son of Zimbabwean soil, I am deeply influenced by the profound African adage, "It takes a village." This principle guided our embrace of community-wide involvement, a theme central to "Design for Belonging." The book offered invaluable strategies and frameworks that were instrumental in fostering a sense of belonging among the Black, Indigenous, and Other Communities of Color (BIOC) we serve. Integrating these principles led to significant improvements in the interactions and connections between students, parents, and educators within our Montessori on Wheels program. Ideas from "Design for Belonging" allowed us to: 1-Enhance our communication strategies to be more inclusive. 2- Develop programs that cater to diverse learning styles and backgrounds. 3-Strengthen our community’s cohesion, echoing the sentiment that it truly does take a village to educate a child. We are committed to continually evolving and using these innovative approaches to ensure our education systems are not only accessible but also empowering for every child and family that steps on our bus.#dBooksGiveaway

Does anyone remember the scene in Apollo 13 where they are testing and retesting the lunar module start up sequence to access more amps? This is what we need to do in education continuously, reexamine what we do, ask 'why do we do things this way?' and 'is there a better way?'. What would happen if lessons were shortened by 10 minutes to enable something else to happen for example?