Partners
Born Learning is the result of many collaborations and partnerships, at the local, state and national level. National campaign partners since the beginning of Born Learning include United Way of America, United Way Success By 6, Civitas, Families and Work Institute and the Ad Council. And more and more national organizations focused on early learning are joining the effort too, including the Association of Children’s Museums and the Birth to Five Policy Alliance.
United Way of America
As the nation's leading community solutions provider, United Way mobilizes resources to make the greatest possible impact in communities across America. The United Way system includes almost 1,300 community-based United Way organizations - each independent and governed by local volunteers.
United Ways bring communities together to focus on the most important needs in the community by identifying root causes, building partnerships, forging consensus and leveraging resources to make a measurable difference. For example, United Way mobilized more than one million volunteers and generated more than $4 billion to help communities address critical issues in 2003-04.
Find out more about how to bring Born Learning to your local United Way.
United Way Success By 6
As United Way transforms itself from fundraiser to community leader and galvanizes communities to change lives, it is leading efforts to increase school readiness throughout the country. And as the nation’s largest and most far-reaching network of coalitions and a powerful force for change, Success By 6 has done that for almost two decades, with some 350 public-private partnerships working to boost school readiness. Operating through United Ways, Success By 6 coalitions are mobilizing business, government and non-profit leaders around early learning. They’re building public support and political will to increase investments, improve services and boost support for young children and their families and caregivers.
Civitas
Civitas is a Chicago-based organization that creates innovative educational tools for parents, caregivers and professionals working with young children. Nationally known for its "Begin with Love" video and its "Understanding Children" book, Civitas has reached millions of adults caring for young children with its materials.
Since 2002, Civitas has worked with the City of Chicago to design and implement Born Learning as a public engagement and material distribution project for all parents and caregivers of children ages birth through five. Through grants from The Irving B. Harris Foundation, The Annie E. Casey Foundation, Chase, Ronald McDonald House Charities, and the Topfer Family Foundation, Civitas developed the prototypes for more than 25 Born Learning tools that are designed to educate and inspire parents, caregivers and entire communities to take an active role in children's early learning. As a partner in United Way of America's public engagement campaign, Civitas will adapt its Born Learning materials for distribution via the campaign.
Families and Work Institute (FWI) Families and Work Institute (FWI) is a non-partisan national nonprofit research institute dedicated to providing data to inform decision-making on changing work-life, family-life, and community life. For the past ten years, FWI has been translating research on learning and early learning. FWI provided scientific and public engagement outreach expertise to the I Am Your Child campaign, including creation and maintenance of the Early Childhood Communications Network of 2,500 organizations and leaders. This fall, FWI launches its Mind in the Making project on early learning, based on the best research on children's development and includes public awareness and public engagement activities. More at http://www.familiesandwork.org/ and http://www.mindinthemaking.org.
The Advertising Council (Ad Council)
The Ad Council is a private, non-profit organization with a rich history of marshalling volunteer talent from the advertising and media industries to deliver critical messages to the American public. Having produced literally thousands of PSA campaigns addressing the most pressing social issues of the day, the Ad Council has effected, and continues to effect, tremendous positive change by raising awareness, inspiring action, and saving lives. The Ad Council icons and slogans are woven into the very fabric of American culture - from Smokey Bear's "Only You Can Prevent Forest Fires" and McGruff the Crime Dog's "Take A Bite Out of Crime," to the United Negro College Fund's "A Mind is a Terrible Thing To Waste," and "Friends Don't Let Friends Drive Drunk."
Birth to Five Policy Alliance The Birth to Five Policy Alliance tries to help to shift the odds for very young children and narrow the achievement gap. The goal is to promote innovative and successful policy ideas that support families in their parenting role and ensure positive early childhood development and learning opportunities for at-risk infants, toddlers, preschoolers and their families. The Alliance is focused on three strategies to support state-level policy: knowledge development including research and policy analysis; outreach and support for state policymakers; and building champions among key stakeholders. Created through funding from the Buffett Early Childhood Fund, includes 13 national organizations as members: Center for Law and Social Policy Committee for Economic Development Council of Chief State School Officers National Association for the Education of Young Children National Center for Children in Poverty National Conference of State Legislatures National Governors Association Center for Best Practices National Scientific Council on the Developing Child Association of Children’s Museums
In spring 2006, United Way of America cemented a new Born Learning partnership with the Association of Children’s Museums, representing 350 children’s museums across the country. Sponsorship discussions are underway with national corporations to underwrite a series of Born Learning materials that museums could adapt. Given that 30 million+ children and families visited children’s museums last year, this partnership has great potential for helping parents, grandparents and caregivers support early learning. Find out more about ACM at www.childrensmuseums.org
