An Early Learning Community is a city, town, village, or county that promotes learning and development prenatally through the early years of elementary school so that all children can thrive.
Early Learning Communities
In an Early Learning Community:
- All new and expectant parents and young children are healthy
- All children are ready to thrive in school
- All children live in strong, positive, and nurturing families and communities
While communities vary greatly by history, culture, demographics, and geography, all Early Learning Communities stand on four key “Building Blocks”—that is, community characteristics and actions that promote healthy development and well-being for all young children.
The work of Early Learning Communities can only be effective when it is guided by core values, which will inform how leaders understand the needs of the community, prioritize the actions they want to take, and provide resources to accomplish the goals. The guiding values are:
Are we taking steps that will transform our systems to promote thriving and eliminate disparities in outcomes related to health, school readiness, and well-being?
Are parents and caregivers at the table, helping to shape the agenda, supported as leaders and partners, and being heard about what will work best for their families and communities throughout the entire process?
Are we tracking our efforts and impact in meaningful ways, and adjusting our work based on what we learn to ensure that we are making a difference?
Tools for Early Learning Communities
- One-pager about Early Learning Communities (in English and Spanish)
- Download the Early Learning Community Action Guide and Assessment Tool
- Download parts of the Action Guide that can be useful to print out:
- Becoming an Early Learning Community (infographic) (in English and Spanish)
- Appendix A: At-A-Glance Overview
- Appendix B: Assessment Tool Scoring Sheet
- Appendix C: Action Planning Template
- Appendix D: Glossary and Resources
- Building Blocks Discussion Guide (in English and Spanish)
- Create an account and see if your community is already registered in the digital Early Learning Community Assessment Tool
Interested in getting involved in one of the communities or starting this journey?
Visit our Get Involved page to learn more.