In early spring, the Partnership announced the 11 recipients of our Transition to Kindergarten mini-grants. These are projects created collaboratively between elementary schools and child care centers that support rising kindergartners and their families so they are best equipped to enter kindergarten.

Many of the transition-themed activities created through the mini-grant process are currently being implemented in preschool and kindergarten settings across Durham.  We are proud to see these creative projects unfold and are grateful for funding from Wells Fargo and Morgan Creek Foundation that make our TTK Initiative possible. 

One of the mini-grant projects, a full day kindergarten experience designed and implemented by Toddler’s Academy, Inc. and Pearsontown Elementary – was featured in today’s Herald-Sun.

» Read the article in full here.

The TTK Initiative is a collaborative project of the Partnership and Durham Public Schools that provides specific experiences that prepare children for successful entrance into kindergarten and that prepare schools to receive children and their families.  For more information on TTK, visit our Web page and look for the launch of our rebranded TTK Web site in July!

The Natural Learning Initiative at College of Design, NC State University is offering a one-day symposium, Healthy Early Childhood Outdoor Learning Environments, to early childhood professionals within the Triangle Area.

During the symposium, ideas will be shared on how to design, plan, and manage the outdoor environment for early childhood through plenary presentations, hands-on sessions, and tours of the POD-3 Lab Site, First Environments Early Learning Center.

Event details:
• Registration: Click this link to access the online registration form
• Event Date and time: June 21, 9:00am to 4:00pm
• Location: EPA Conference Center, 109 TW Alexander Drive, RTP, NC
• CEU credit will be available to all attendees upon completion of an online evaluation of the event
• Event cost is $15, which includes continental breakfast and coffee breaks
• Registration Deadline: Friday, June 14. Maximum participants: 125
• Please bring your own lunch or enjoy the Lakeside Cafe in the conference center

» Below is a Flyer with the event details. The flyer is also available by clicking this link.

We encourage professionals in Durham to take advantage of this opportunity!

Photo: The outdoor learning environment at Early Start Academy in Durham.

Through the generous contributions of 20 donors, the Partnership raised $1,050 during the 2013 Great Human Race campaign!!!  We extend a tremendous thank you to every single donor who made this possible; this year’s campaign represents a huge success for us as it is the first time we have met our GHR fundraising goal!

The Partnership’s mission for participating this year was to address the crisis of poor dental health in young children.  Our goal is to provide 100 dental kits to young children in Durham County. Each dental kit will include a toothbrush, toothpaste, child flossing tool, an early dental health instruction booklet, coloring pages, crayons, and a Dr. Seuss book on teeth.

The Partnership would also like to recognize our sponsors in the dental health field who contributed to the cause:  DenTek Oral Care, Duke Pediatric Dentistry, Dr. Gary Hill, and Southpoint Pediatric Dentistry.

Before kits can be distributed, they must first be assembled.  We are seeking volunteers to help us put together 109 kits and have scheduled an official kit building event here at the Partnership office to facilitate this effort.  If you are interested in joining us on Tuesday, June 18th at 3 pm, please contact Krissy at krissy@dpfc.net or (919) 403-6960 ext 230.  (Volunteer time commitment: < 1 hour)  

Stay tuned for more news on dental health kit distribution and the impact made in the Durham community!

Project BUILD.  4-H Youth Development.  Cribs for Kids Durham.  ServSafe.  EFNEP.
What do all these programs have in common?

They are all provided and managed by the Durham County Center of the NC Cooperative Extension and are of tremendous value to the growth and vitality of our community.

The Durham County Cooperative Extension creates opportunities that improve the well-being of families living in Durham through services ranging the spectrum of life: early childhood development, youth development, consumer and family education, food and nutrition, agriculture and horticulture and community capacity building.  Durham’s Partnership for Children is deeply committed to the work of the Durham County Cooperative Extension; we know and value their programs, including Welcome Baby Family Resource Center, a funded partner of the Partnership.

Community members had the opportunity to engage with staff and support teams of the Durham County Cooperative Extension on Tuesday, May 21st, when the center provided their 2013 Report to the Community.

Staff kicked off the event with an interactive scavenger hunt that represented all extension programs, followed by a formal presentation that included testimonials from several program participants. It was an enriching experience and a reflection of the successes of the Durham County Cooperative Extension.

Some of the many accomplishments of 2012 as overviewed during the presentation:

• Kids Voting Durham engaged nearly 15,000 Durham students in civics education and the voting process, including a youth-led candidate forum for the County Commissioners and School Board.
• Project BUILD helped 15 high school dropouts reenter school, 4 youth obtain employment, 20 youth open their first savings accounts, and 3 obtain a GED.
• Cribs for Kids Durham raised more than $5,400 and distributed 149 new and 24 used portable cribs to parents as part of their safe sleep training, SIDS awareness program.
• Through the Incredible Years curriculum offered through Welcome Baby, challenging behaviors of participants’ children decreased by 33%.
• Welcome Baby’s Giving Closet provided free children’s clothing and equipment to more than 1,524 Durham children in need.
• The Durham County Extension Master Gardeners donated a total of 1,064 hours of continuing education.
• The ServSafe Restaurant Managers Certification training was completed by 120 participants in Durham and Orange County to ensure food safety for consumers.
• The Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) provided lessons to 193 adults and 200 youth to help with improved diet and selection of low-cost, nutritious foods.

Research shows that students who read more often, read better; additionally, they write better, spell better, have larger vocabularies, and have better control of complex grammatical constructions.  Reading is critical to building those competencies.  Research also tells us that increased summer reading, specifically, reduces summer learning loss. 

The most innovative reading programs are successful because they find novel ways to get books into the hands of children during the summer months and motivate kids to read, read, read!  At the Partnership, we advocate for these programs because they enhance literacy and foster a life-long love of reading. 

» Barnes & Noble Summer Reading Program: Imagination’s Destination
Now in its 17th year, the program includes a Summer Reading journal sheet to help children track books read. Barnes & Noble encourages summer reading by providing children in grades K-6 the opportunity to earn a free book by reading eight books and turning in a completed journal sheet. All children need to do is bring the completed journal to a Barnes & Noble store between May 21st and September 3rd, 2013 and choose a FREE book from the list.  Too many children spend their summer with no books to read.  Any program that encourages reading and rewards success with increased access to new materials is a tremendous benefit to the community.

» Durham County Library program
The Durham County Library is one of the best ways to access reading throughout the year, and each summer invites the community to participate in an exciting reading program.  “Dig Into Reading” is the theme of the Durham County Library’s 2013 Summer Reading Program, which will kick off on Saturday, June 15th at Northgate Mall.  The event is from 10 am to 1 pm.  Be sure to attend!

» Partners in East Durham
As an East Durham Children’s Initiative (EDCI) partner organization, Durham’s Partnership for Children understands that summer learning loss affects disadvantaged students disproportionately and that the 120-block East Durham zone is a critical area to target resources. 

The Partnership will be providing books for elementary students and their younger siblings living in the EDCI zone to be distributed during the end-of-school year celebration at Y. E. Smith Elementary School. EDCI is organizing this fantastic event to encourage summer reading and participation in additional summer engagement opportunities.

This week the Partnership invited community members and volunteers on an Early Childhood Bus Tour, a three-hour event that invites participants to learn about our work through engagement.  This event was one in a series of bus tours that we host, each having a different focus and set of goals.  With National Volunteer Week recently behind us, we wanted to focus this bus tour on engagement and volunteerism by honoring our many volunteers and showcasing strategies for involvement at the Partnership. 

It is impossible to feature every volunteer opportunity or every one of our community partners on a bus tour, thus, each tour looks very different.  This makes for an exciting journey for participants! 

Wednesday's Early Childhood Bus Tour was unique in that we kicked off the event by simulating a volunteer experience; we put our guests to work as soon as they arrived at the Partnership office!  Moments after we greeted each bus tour attendee we asked that they join us around the table to build Transition to Kindergarten Blast-Off Kits.  These kits require about five minutes of assembly each, but are produced in large quantities so that the Partnership can distribute them widely to young children entering kindergarten in Durham County.  They include items such as crayons, shapes for building, a "Draw A Picture/Tell A Story" activity, an emotion identification game, and other critical pieces that are important for rising kindergartners.

After introductions and a welcome, participants loaded the bus as we headed out into the Durham community.

Destination A: The outdoor learning environment at Early Start Academy
Participants were able to walk through Early Start Academy's naturalized outdoor learning environment designed around best practice that stimulates young children’s play and contributes to healthy development – intellectually, emotionally, socially, spiritually and physically.  These state-of-the-art outdoor classrooms have so many benefits, including connecting children to nature, but require extra attention and upkeep to maintain quality.  Child care centers rely on volunteers to help with routine weeding, organization, clean-up, material donations, and more.

Destination B: Welcome Baby
Welcome Baby Family Resource Center, a funded program of the Partnership, offers an amazing variety of parent education and support services in Durham County.  These include developmental newsletters and parenting workshops, the car seat safety program, multi-vitamin distribution, Cribs for Kids, and the Giving Closet. 

Bus tour attendees had the opportunity to tour the Giving Closet and see many of the resources that Durham families utilize.  Von Brown, Volunteer Coordinator at Welcome Baby, spoke to the need for volunteers within the agency that help accomplish all the great work being done.

Destination C: Readers as Leaders program, Primary Colors Early Learning Center
The final site we visited during the tour was Primary Colors Early Learning Center, a 5-star child care center in Durham that participates in the Partnership’s Readers as Leaders volunteer reading program.  Monnie Griggs, Technical Assistance Director with Child Care Services Association, was able to inform bus tour attendees about why reading aloud to young children – even infants – matters so much.  Children who are exposed to print-rich materials early on are able to build their language and vocabulary skills, gain knowledge about the world around them, and develop an interest in reading.
We also had the opportunity to listen in on a classroom story time and see just how excited young children get about reading. 

All participants left the bus tour with a much deeper understanding of the Partnership's role in the early childhood world, and each person expressed interest in additional Partnership volunteer opportunities.  If you are interested in helping us drive our mission forward, please contact Krissy Dunn, Operations Specialist at the Partnership.  Krissy manages our volunteer program and can help folks navigate our different opportunities like: building kits, reading to children, donating items, visits to child care centers, joining a committee, and many more.  She can be reached at krissy@dpfc.net or 403-6960.

Durham’s Partnership for Children is pleased to announce the launch of the Durham Touchpoints Collaborative that will provide training in the evidence-based Touchpoints approach to 100 Durham-based providers over the next two years. The Partnership received funding from Oak Foundation for the implementation of the Durham Touchpoints Collaborative early in 2013.

Touchpoints is an evidence-based theory of child development based on the work of Dr. T. Berry Brazelton that is used by providers across disciplines (e.g. pediatrics, home visiting, early education). Once implemented by providers, this method helps parents understand regressions that accompany their children’s developmental spurts, which occur often during the first years of life. The Touchpoints approach gives providers tools to support parents during these challenging times and to strengthen the parent-child relationship. Touchpoints also helps to break down silos by building relationships among providers across disciplines to create a more unified community.

Yesterday we celebrated this news with a public launch held at the Durham County Library where Dr. Ann Stadtler, Director of Touchpoints Site Development & Training, Brazelton Touchpoints Center (Boston, MA), delivered the keynote address to Durham-based early childhood, health and human service, and education stakeholders interested in adopting the Touchpoints philosophy in their work.

We extend deep gratitude to community members and representatives from key agencies that were a part of our launch, and to the dedicated members of our Durham Touchpoints Planning Group who have provided much vision to this process.  We look forward to the next steps in building this network in Durham.

This week is Teacher Appreciation Week and today is National Teacher Day.  Thousands of communities nationwide are taking the time to honor our educators who commit themselves wholeheartedly to making sure students receive a quality education.  It is important to take a moment to thank those teachers who have made a difference in the life of a child. 

At the Partnership, our mission is that every child in Durham County receives a high-quality early education so that they enter school healthy and ready to succeed.  We believe that children and families should have access to the highest quality early childhood programs based on what research has demonstrated as best practice.  The Partnership’s investment in birth to five ensures that young children are receiving support from highly-trained early educators.

We know the impact that an early educator makes on the first 2,000 days of a child’s life.  These professionals are dedicated to shaping the lives of young children, providing healthy and nurturing environments for our youngest learners, and contributing to school readiness.  For that and so much more, we thank them.

What better way to show our gratitude than by celebrating the accomplishments of Dorian, a former student of the 5-star Brown’s Day Care Center in Durham.

Dorian is 6 years old and is currently a kindergarten student at Oakview Elementary School in High Point.  Last year, Dorian was enrolled in the NC Pre-K program at Brown’s Day Care.  His teachers were Ms. Brittany, Mrs. DeShondra, Ms. Rosie, and Ms. Cheryl Brown (the owner and director).  Dorian has two younger brothers, he loves to read books about dinosaurs, and his favorite school subject is art.  When he grows up, Dorian wants to be an FBI agent, artist, or serve in the military.  Dorian was very excited about his first day of kindergarten.

Dorian knows that his time in pre-k at Brown’s made a big impact in his life.  As he tells us, Dorian’s teachers were great because they understood him and always had work for him to do. He loved the “do it yourself breakfast” because it gave him a feeling of responsibility to prepare his own plate. His teachers kept him engaged at all times, providing him challenging activities each day.
 
“Dorian has accomplished many wonderful achievements since he started kindergarten,” said Dorian’s mom, Mushianah. “He has received a total of six awards to date. The awards were for leadership, art, PE, math, and AR reading. I would just like to thank [the teachers at Brown’s] for laying down that foundation for my baby boy. He has excelled past the expectations of his teachers! God bless you and your school for all the effort and hard work you put into helping our children start on their journey to success! While at Brown’s Day Care, I think the journal entry and sight word activities were very important; they helped set the foundation for his reading. The teachers at Brown’s care so much for our kids’ well-being and their future success – they put their all into teaching them everything and more.”

Dorian offers some Tips for Success to rising kindergartners:

• Listen to your teachers
• Be a great leader
• Read a book for 20 minutes daily
• Always do your homework on time
• Treat people the way you want to be treated
• Make lots of friends
• Have fun!

Yesterday, the Partnership collaborated with MomsRising, The First 2,000 Days campaign, and White Rock Child Development Center to host a successful Giant Chutes & Ladders event that welcomed elected officials, advocates, parents, and young children to learn about the investments necessary to help young children thrive.

The Durham Herald-Sun provided great coverage in today’s newspaper. Click here to read more.

MomsRising will continue to travel across the state with the Chutes & Ladders game to bring attention to policies and budget cuts that affect young children in North Carolina.

“When we invest in kids, it makes a difference,” said Beth Messersmith, campaign director for NC MomsRising. “If we want North Carolina to compete and children to compete, we need to be investing in them.”

The Great Human Race is tomorrow, April 6^th, and we hope you are planning to walk or run with us!  Donations to the Partnership's Great Human Race fundraising campaign are still being accepted. We can reach our goal of $1,000!  Don't forget that for every $10 you contribute, one more child will be equipped with the tools they need for proper dental health.  Donate now to help give a kid a healthy smile and a happy life.

If you’re joining the Partnership team tomorrow, here are a few final pieces of helpful information:

• The Volunteer Center is expecting all walkers to be at the Main Stage (at Northgate Mall near Sears Automotive) by 8:15 am for Opening Ceremonies (We will be there holding up our Partnership sign and wearing these lovely bright blue shirts)
  
  
  
  
• If you are running, be at the Start line by 8:30 am
  
  
• After the race, you can enjoy entertainment by The Durham Divas, Bull City Sliders Line Dancing Club, and a live DJ.  Children can meet Wool E. Bull, McGruff the Crime Dog, Booker the Fox and the Chick-fil-A cows.  Kids will also be able to explore a real Fire Engine and Sheriff's patrol car. Other activities include face painting and crafts.  

If you have any questions, please contact Krissy Dunn at krissy@dpfc.net or (919) 403-6960.  Thank you to each of our supporters and we look forward to seeing you tomorrow!  It should be a fun, rain-free event.