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From birth through 6th grade, children flourish when caring relationships and consistent, high-quality learning experiences build strong foundations for language, self-regulation, and problem-solving. We focus on whole-child, system-level solutions—aligning early learning with the elementary years—so more children arrive ready for kindergarten, read on grade level by 3rd grade, and are on track for rigorous math by 8th grade.
Lasting progress takes systems change, not isolated programs. That means a cradle-to-career approach where families, providers, schools, and community partners work from shared outcomes, common data, and continuous improvement. Continuity of care—stable caregivers, smooth transitions between settings, and coherent P–3 instruction—keeps support personalized and on time. Together, we cultivate communities that flourish by ensuring every child is ready to learn, stays on track, and experiences a strong sense of belonging throughout their learning journey.
Early Education Partnerships
Our Current EE Partnership Priorities
- Cradle-to-Career- Initiatives that focus on seamless transition from early childhood through elementary grades with an emphasis on the continuity of care and a place-based, kid-centric approach
- Integrated Academic, Social, & Emotional Supports- Initiatives focused on equipping and empowering individuals and families with the resources and skills they need to flourish
- Data-Driven Personalization- Initiatives that use child-level and disaggregated data to personalize support, identify gaps early, and ensure timely intervention.
- Supportive Environments- Initiatives that support safe spaces and prioritize belong and care in the context of a person’s lived experiences
Our Investment
Progress in the Tri-state in the area of Early Education will be measured by these community changes:
- More children arrive at kindergarten ready to learn
- More 3rd graders will meet or exceed grade-level benchmarks for school success
- More 8th graders meet or exceed grade level benchmarks for school success
- Less student absenteeism
- Children and Families have a higher sense of belonging within their unique educational attainment journey
The Foundation has identified four specific priorities that engage key audiences:
Family Engagement – Helping families understand the importance of early learning and equipping them with best practice parenting tools
Provider Effectiveness – Equipping early learning providers with the tools to create high-quality learning settings
Affordable High-Quality Enrollment – Providing scholarship resources towards efforts to make high-quality learning environments more accessible to families
Academic Supports – Funding programs by schools, church and community organizations focused on narrowing the learning gap among elementary school students
Early Learning
Impact Stories
Early Education
Impact Stories
Educational Equity
Continuing the conversation on Equity versus Equality, and looking ahead to the opening of our Early Learning Grant Cycle next month, we’re focusing this time on Educational Equity. The video above does a great job of explaining what Equity in Education is and shares some national statistics that support the increasing need for programs that provide equitable educational opportunity for everyone.
High-quality education matters. When we tend to the unique needs of each child and group (i.e. BIOPIC, disabled, low income), nourishing their strengths and resourcing the areas where they may struggle, they’re more likely to not only succeed in their early education but also be equipped with the tools they need to succeed in life.
To learn more about our Early Education Investment, view our Early Learning Whitepaper – Building a Strong Foundation Through Investment in Early Learning.
Path to Impact
Our Path to Impact is the process by which the positive change that we believe our communities need will be realized through the focus on the priorities listed above.