Early Childhood Initiative Adds 12 More Communities

The McKnight Foundation and Minnesota Initiative Foundations have announced the selection of 12 communities that will join the work of 24 others as part of the Minnesota Early Childhood Initiative. Funded in part by a $3.2 million grant from McKnight, the initiative seeks to ensure that all young children have a healthy life of learning, achieving and succeeding.

The latest group of communities selected to participate in the initiative are Aurora-Biwabik-Hoyt Lakes, Austin, Community of White Earth, Crookston, Koochiching County, Marshall County, Melrose, North Branch, Pelican Rapids, Redwood Falls, the School District of Waterville-Morristown-Elysian and Worthington. These communities, along with the others involved in the initiative, were chosen because of their established local partnerships, existing early childhood education programs, and an expressed interest in strengthening the health of young children and families.

"The unprecedented breadth of the Early Childhood Initiative is creating statewide synergy and positive change for Minnesota's youngest children, and in turn, their families and communities," said Rip Rapson, president of The McKnight Foundation. "Encompassing every region of the state, these communities are investing in our state's most valuable asset - the future success of our children."

The 12 communities announced today will follow the first 24 communities in a process to promote early childhood development. The initial steps include building a community coalition of committed individuals, interviewing local residents about their perspectives on young children and their families, and hosting a public meeting or "speak out" on early childhood development. Each local coalition then sets goals and identifies projects, potential partnerships and policy changes that may help achieve those goals. All coalitions strive to keep early childhood issues at the forefront of the public agenda.

To date, the first 24 communities in the initiative each have hired an early childhood community coordinator. These coordinators are helping communities develop projects ranging from brain development training and educational materials for licensed child care providers to a mentoring program for new parents and their infants. Collectively, the coordinators also have helped involve 700 people in local coalitions, interview 1,200 community members, sponsor 24 "Speak Out for Early Childhood" forums, and host several training workshops on communicating effectively with legislators.

The Early Childhood Initiative receives assistance in organizing and engaging local participation in the metro area and throughout the state from Ready 4 K, a school readiness advocacy group. The statewide effort is directed by the six regional Minnesota Initiative Foundations, which were created in 1986 as a partnership between The McKnight Foundation and citizens of Greater Minnesota. The six foundations are the Initiative Foundation, Little Falls; the Northland Foundation, Duluth; the Northwest Minnesota Foundation, Bemidji; the Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation, Owatonna; the Southwest Minnesota Foundation, Hutchinson; and West Central Initiative, Fergus Falls.

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