|
Launch of Pasadena as an Early Learning City
|
|
|
The City of Pasadena supports a movement committed to engaging the community, parents/caregivers, teachers and business leaders to building an Early Learning City by 2025
|
|
On September 23, 2017, the City of Pasadena will officially kick off the Young Child Movement with a free community and family day featuring a multitude of activities, resources and fun for children and families. This event will launch the work of the Master Plan for the Young Child (
see story below) and will create the foundation for achieving the vision of the City of Pasadena becoming an Early Learning City by the Year 2025.
This kick-off event is free and open to all residents of the Pasadena area -- please join us!
Click here to download the detailed flyer.
|
|
|
Click here if you'd like to apply to become an exhibitor during the launch event.
|
|
|
The Vision | The children of Pasadena, Altadena and Sierra Madre all grow up in a safe, stable,
and supportive environment that prepares them for success in school and in life.
|
|
|
Early Child Development Policy
|
In March of 2015, the City Council approved the Early Child Development Policy that focuses on our community’s youngest children, birth to 5 years, and their families. On the same date the City Council adopted a Resolution In Support of Developing an Early Learning City by the Year 2025. Both the Policy and the Resolution affirm the City’s focus on early childhood learning in order to align resources to ensure all children in Pasadena attain educational success, are healthy and live in a safe and stable community, and enter kindergarten ready to succeed. As defined in the Policy and the Resolution, the vision for Pasadena is “a City that nurtures every child and creates an environment where young children are healthy, safe, and find early success in school and life.”
The Pasadena Public Library is the City Department that hosts the Office of the Young Child, a fundamental element of the implementation of the plan, established in October 2016, and led by Lila Guirguis. It is both symbolic and significant that the Office is located in the Library -- a place that seeks to nurture every child and creates an environment where young children are healthy, safe, and find early success in school and life.
Click here to join the City of Pasadena Office of the Young Child Facebook page for more information. For the Master Plan for the Young Child, click here to download the full policy.
|
|
|
Council for the Young Child
|
|
|
The Pasadena Council for the Young Child's Partnership with Collaborate PASadena
|
|
|
The Pasadena Council for the Young Child, a major support for the young child initiative and movement in Pasadena, has convened once a month since October 2015. Led by long-time Pasadena leaders and advocates on behalf of children and youth,
Vera Vignes and
Tony Santilena, the Council is comprised of 25+ residents and volunteers, a cross-sector of representatives from City departments, PUSD, business, public and private community agencies and organizations concerned with the needs and welfare of children and families.
Of the five Working Groups of Collaborate PASadena, Working Group #1 focuses on Early Learning with the goal that “Young children’s early developmental needs are met." With the formation of the Pasadena Council for the Young Child, school district staff, City Library staff, parents and other members of Working Group #1 have joined the work of the Council. This is an important step in the alignment of efforts of various constituencies throughout the city and school district to improve outcomes for our youngest children and their families.
The goals of the Council are to:
|
|
1. Bring to life the Eight Building Blocks of the Early Child Development Policy;
2. Identify practices for change through the combined knowledge, experience and expertise of this cross-sector of leaders;
3.
Approach their work as a “think tank,” the recommendations of which will help to build a set of practices that will support the work of the Early Child Development Coordinator and help to set the priorities of the Office of the Young Child
; and
4. Provide a road map and design for transforming the community in addressing intractable social problems through a comprehensive approach to early childhood policy and services in Pasadena.
For more information, or to become involved on the Council, contact Lila Guirguis, City of Pasadena, Early Childhood Program Coordinator, at lguirguis@cityofpasadena.net.
|
|
|
Early Development Instrument (EDI)
|
|
How well children are prepared for school is directly related to their early experiences within the home and within their community at large, which influence overall success in school and in life. A recent investment by the City of Pasadena, Collaborate PASadena and the Pasadena Unified School District administered the
Early Development Instrument (EDI) in February 2017. This tool was last administered in 2013 and is done every 3-4 years. EDI is a population-based measure of children’s early development in communities across the nation. Completed by kindergarten teachers, the EDI assesses children's abilities to meet age appropriate milestones across 5 developmental domains:
physical health and well-being;
social competence;
emotional maturity;
language and cognitive skills; and
communication skills and general knowledge.
Collaborate PASadena, the City of Pasadena Office of the Young Child and PUSD are committed to sharing the 2017 EDI results in a series of community conversations and believe it will serve as a catalyst, bringing together individuals, organizations and community leaders who work to improve school readiness and create better environments for our children.
|
|
|
Collaborate PASadena is pleased to announce that Elizabeth "Lisa" Barrios has joined the team as Program Assistant. Lisa will be working part-time at our Flintridge Center office and comes to us with great community experience including work with the Partnership for Success, and most recently coordinating the Middle School Program at Lake Avenue Community Foundation. Born and raised in Pasadena, a Marshall Fundamental alumnus, and involved with Lake Avenue Church for the last six years, Lisa brings great knowledge of the community, and a passion to improve the lives of children.
|
|
|
Says Lisa, "I'm excited to be a part of the exciting work of Collaborate PASadena and I look forward to networking and plugging in with all of the great partners and others at the table."
|
|
|
There's a new resource in town and you don't want to miss it! Created through a collaboration of the Junior League of Pasadena, Leadership Pasadena and Fuller Seminary,
PasadenaHelp.org is an interactive online resource directory connecting community members to services and nonprofits in the greater San Gabriel Valley area. The database and website are maintained by the Junior League of Pasadena.
Service providers interested in being listed on the website may
click here
and fill out the submission form.
|
|
|
Youth Leadership Conference
Help get the word out that a wonderful opportunity for youth is coming to town!! Being held all day
August 10 and 11 at the Pasadena Central Library, the youth conference will provide kids (ages 12-15) with valuable skills and knowledge needed to become outstanding leaders. It will also connect them to organizations and groups that offer volunteer and community service activities so they can acquire valuable experience. The days will be filled with informative and active workshops, games, food and fun for all who attend.
Click here to register (or share
https://2017levelup.eventbrite.com).
|
|
|
News and Events
Click here to find the latest news and events on the Collaborate PASadena website! We happily post partner news and events on our site and on our Facebook page. Submit to lisa@collpas.org.
|
|
|
Partner Praise
Big thank you's go to the Pasadena Unified School District's Office of Family & Community Engagement for all of the good work they do on behalf of families in the district and community!
|
|
|
am-pluh-fahy
v. to make stronger; enlarge; extend
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
