Zaentz Early Education Initiative

We are thrilled to announce the winners of the 2024 Zaentz Early Education Innovation Challenge! Winning Accelerate Track Teams: First Place – YWCA New Britain YWCA Early Childhood Incubator Expansion from Connecticut Second Place – Early Learning Ventures Alliance CREDIBLE from Colorado Audience Choice – FRIENDS CENTER FOR CHILDREN INC Center for Children Teacher Housing Initiative from Connecticut Winning Envision Track Teams: First Place – EQA Schools NEST Parent CDA Program from Louisiana Second Place – AR Choice Tri-Share from Arkansas Audience Choice – Reich College of Education at Appalachian State University Immersive Experiential Major Concentration from North Carolina Join us in congratulating our six winning teams!

Looking for ideas or inspiration to transform early education in your area? Our Zaentz Navigator now has more tools to help you find innovative policies and strategies from across the country. Check it out today: https://lnkd.in/eenHNsjf

Without more funding to pay for it, a well-deserved boost in Head Start teachers' pay could mean serving fewer children. Thanks to Cory Turner NPR for elevating these educators' experiences. https://lnkd.in/gUD9WSEM

On December 5, 2024, we’re hosting our latest online Professional Learning Academy program, Using Data to Improve Quality in Early Education Settings: Parts I & II. We’ll explore how features of the early learning environment can support children’s language and literacy as well as promote prosocial behaviors and healthy social-emotional development. Apply by November 25 so you don’t miss out: https://bit.ly/DBOOT24

Registration is now open for our upcoming program, "Using Data to Improve Quality in Early Education Settings." During this two-part program, we will explore practices that foster data-use mindsets in early learning settings. Register today! https://bit.ly/DBOOT24

Thank you to all our finalists for their excellent presentations, the judges and emcees for the tremendous work, and to everyone who joined us to watch these amazing pitches! Stay connected to Zaentz and to our finalists' work on Facebook and LinkedIn to see their innovative ideas come to life.

Amy O'Leary and Paul Belsito just kicked off our Zaentz Early Education Innovation Challenge pitch ceremony! Join us online to watch our finalists pitch their ideas in front of a panel of judges and live + virtual audiences for the chance to win first or second place, and/or an audience choice award! Watch live stream here: https://lnkd.in/dMvumNMK

We built the Zaentz Navigator to help you quickly find strategies throughout the country that are transforming early education. With the Navigator's ability to filter by state, county, or city, you can easily find how other leaders are implementing these strategies across the country. Try it out today: https://lnkd.in/eenHNsjf #ZaentzNavigator

Don't forget! The 2024 Zaentz Early Education Innovation Challenge pitch event is Tuesday, October 29 from 4:00-5:30pm ET. We can't wait to hear from all of our incredible finalists. Join us in person at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, or watch the event live online: https://lnkd.in/dMvumNMK Pictured here: Rochelle Wilcox of For Providers By Providers, 2023 First Place and Audience Choice Envision Track Winner

We're thrilled to see the launch of Cambridge’s universal pre-k program! This is a significant step toward making high-quality early education accessible for all. https://lnkd.in/gHGyRjRY