“[Learning] is not about what you’re going to teach someone; it’s really about what people are going to do to achieve goals that are important to them.”
– Niels Floor
CS3 Updates
Help Build the Illinois Early Childhood Community Collaboration Directory!
The CS3 team will launch a live online collaboration directory in Spring 2025! Register by October 31, 2024, so we can include your collaboration, and please spread the word among your community partners.
The directory will serve as a valuable resource for early childhood education and care providers (ECEC), making it much easier to network with other ECEC collaborations, funders, statewide stakeholders and advocates, technical assistance providers, and many others. The online directly will live on the Partner Plan Act website and will be updated periodically throughout the year.
Webinar – Introduction to Facilitating Effective Community System Development Meetings: A Handbook for Collaboration Leaders
Watch this webinar to learn how our new handbook, Facilitating Effective Community System Development Meetings: A Handbook for Collaboration Leaders can build your facilitation competence. Learn how it is unique, who can benefit, an introduction to the contents, and additional related supports.
IAFC will be providing facilitation training in March 2024 based on the newly released handbook called Facilitating Effective Community System Development Meetings: A Handbook for Collaboration Leaders. You can influence the focus of this training by completing the following survey.
Save the Dates: Collaboration Highlights Lunch & Learn Series
Get inspired by the groundbreaking work happening across our state in our Community Collaboration Highlights Lunch & Learn series! This series offers four opportunities to hear directly from partners who are leading the way in innovation and excellence in early childhood community systems. Discover the successes of community collaboration partners making a significant impact, take away fresh ideas and strategies to implement in your own organization, and connect with a network of professionals dedicated to advancing community collaboration.
Stay tuned to find out who will be featured at each event!
Session 1: September 24, 2024
Session 2: December 3, 2024
Session 3: March 18, 2025
Session 4: June 3, 2025
Time: 12– 1 p.m.
Mini Cohort: Fiscal Sustainability
Are you ready to strengthen your community collaboration’s financial foundation? Our exclusive three-part Collaboration Learning Mini Cohort on fiscal sustainability is designed to equip you with the essential tools and strategies for long-term success. Participants must have the approval of their collaboration and attend all three sessions, so please only register if you are able to do so.
What to expect:
- Engage with Experts: Interact with funders, grant writers, and fiscal backbone support agencies, along with experienced leaders from stand-alone 501(c)(3) collaborations.
- Interactive Learning: Bring your questions and insights to each session. Our workshop format will allow you to apply this knowledge through hands-on activities, with real-time support from our trainers.
- Tailored Support: Receive personalized guidance on your collaboration’s unique fiscal challenges, ensuring you leave each session with actionable insights.
Session 1: October 01, 2024
Session 2: October 08, 2024
Session 3: October 15, 2024
Time: 1– 3:30 p.m.
Remember, this cohort requires you to attend all three sessions as a representative of your collaboration.
Mark Your Calendars for Shared Learning Sessions
You are invited to this year’s Shared Learning Sessions facilitated by Jaclyn Vasquez! Join early childhood collaboration leaders and Birth to Five Regional Managers from across the state to network and share insights on key topics.
Fall Session – Virtual
- Northern Region: November 19, 2024
- Central Region: November 20, 2024
- Southern Region: November 21, 2024
- Time: 12– 2:30 p.m.
Spring Session – In-Person
- Whole State, location TBD: May 21, 2025
Questions? Contact Ruby Flores.
Stay tuned for more details in October.
Upcoming Trainings
Enhancing Racial Equity in Early Childhood Collaborations & Systems
This two-part training is designed to help participants understand and embody equity within the context of Early Childhood Collaborations (ECC) and Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC). It aims to empower participants with an understanding of racial equity, providing them with the best practices to integrate these principles into their professional activities and daily lives. Attendees will gain the knowledge and skills necessary to foster and sustain equitable environments in early childhood systems. This training will be facilitated by Dra. Alexandra Escobar and Artishia Hunter.
This training is eligible for Gateways credits and certificates issued in collaboration with The Center: Early Childhood Professional Learning.
Session 1: October 10, 2024
Session 2: October 24, 2024
Time: 10 a.m.– 1:30 p.m.
Family Engagement Training – Coming Soon!
We are hosting a special Family Engagement Training on November 12, facilitated by Janet Vargas, Ruby Flores, and Dra. Alexandra Escobar! Registration begins in October.
Join us as we go over the revised CS3 Family Engagement Framework and how to use it! Participants will receive information and tools to help them identify their collaboration’s starting point on the framework. The training will also introduce a new tool to help collaborations choose which family engagement role(s) to carry out based on their community needs and resources.
This training is eligible for Gateways credits and certificates issued in collaboration with The Center: Early Childhood Professional Learning.
Registration details are coming in October.
Training Opportunities from The Center: Early Childhood Professional Learning
9/30/24 4:00-5:30 Power of Playful Learning for PreK and Kindergarten
PLAY! An essential part of childhood in building skills necessary for academic success. Early childhood is the foundation of a child’s academic career. Critical thinking, self-regulation, problem solving, and working with others are developed through playing. In a play-based classroom, the teacher makes decisions about the daily schedule, the environment, the materials, interactions, and activities based upon the strengths, needs, interests, and input of the students in the classroom. Whether you are thinking about adding more play to your daily routine or wanting to engage children in more purposeful play, this webinar is for you. Register
10/17/24 4:00-5:30 Engaging Parents When You Don’t Speak Their Home Language or Understand Their Culture
Given the changing demographics, educators must create culturally and linguistically responsive environments incorporating families’ cultural and linguistic resources. There are multiple considerations when creating equitable opportunities to engage diverse families in their children’s development and learning. In this session, we will discuss strategies that support and engage diverse families through respectful relationships that lead to reciprocal partnerships. Register
Be sure to visit The Center’s Training calendar for more opportunities.
Resources
Birth to Five Illinois FY25 Subcontracts
In Fiscal Year 2025 (FY25), Birth to Five Illinois is issuing $3 million in subcontracts (not grants), funded by the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE), to Local Early Childhood Collaborations. Established Collaborations are invited to submit proposals to complete activities like coordinating developmental screening events in collaboration with community partners and facilitating opportunities for parent/caregiver-led outreach strategies. This opportunity is now available to established Collaborations in all areas of the State. Click the “Submit a Proposal” button below to access the form.
Proposals must be submitted by 10:00pm on Sunday, October 6, 2024.
Access Printing Support
The CS3 team is continuing to offer support in partnership with American Color Labs for printing services. If your local early childhood collaboration has marketing materials that you’d like to print, please complete this Request for Support form.
Printing support can include flyers, annual reports, marketing collateral, stickers, banners, posters, and more. Please reach out to the CS3 team if you have questions about this support.
PLEASE NOTE: This is a service provided specifically to early childhood education and care (ECEC) collaborations. Unfortunately, we cannot accommodate requests for individual programs. Request Support