November 2018
Early Childhood Updates from SMIF
Fall is a busy time for the Early Childhood team at SMIF, primarily because of our Early Childhood Care Conference which was held at the end of October. We are overwhelmingly grateful for all of you who made the conference a success. Whether you were an attendee, presenter, exhibitor, sponsor or volunteer you were instrumental in making this annual event meaningful and vital to the continued work in the field. Thanks to each of you for your role!
 
In this newsletter you will find many opportunities, including an upcoming grant deadline, open AmeriCorps positions, regional PreK - 3 workshops and more.
 
The child care shortage is on the forefront of everyone’s agenda and we know the importance of needing support for child care providers along with engaging all sectors of the community on the issues. In early December we will be releasing information about our new program to address the shortage with community-driven solutions. Watch for more information from us next month.

As ever, if you have questions, concerns or creative suggestions as they relate to early childhood, please contact me at 507-214-7012 or raejeanh@smifoundation.org . 
Rae Jean Hansen 
Vice President - Early Childhood
Early Childhood Care Conference

The fourth annual Early Childhood Care Conference was a success! There were nearly 500 early childhood professionals in attendance including child care providers, preschool teachers, center directors and staff, presenters, AmeriCorps members, exhibitors and SMIF staff.

We had the honor of hosting some amazing presenters including keynotes Katy Smith, 2011 Minnesota Teacher of the Year and retired Parent Educator from Winona and Dr. Dipesh Navsaria, Pediatrician and Professor from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Attendees had a wide variety of breakouts to choose from including trainings on Conscious Discipline, STEAM, S.M.A.R.T., nature, communicating with parents, and literacy to name just a few of the topics covered. This year was our first ever Friday evening session with 180 in attendance. We laughed and learned a lot!
It is always an amazing experience to bring together such a diverse group of providers and educators to learn together, share resources and get to know one another better. We look forward to next year!

Thanks again to our sponsors:
SMIF & Mardag Foundation (Platinum Sponsors); Parent Aware (Building Blocks Sponsor); Barb and Edward Miller, Roundbank (Circle Time Sponsors), as well as the numerous session and swag sponsors. Thanks also to Owatonna Public Schools and Owatonna Community Education for hosting us.
Early Childhood Grant deadline approaching
SMIF's Early Childhood Grants are designed to support asset-based collaborative approaches to meeting the needs of children birth to age 5 and their families. Grants of up to $20,000 are available to eligible organizations. Applications are due November 13, 2018.

AmeriCorps - hiring half time positions now!
AmeriCorps LEAP (Learning Early Achieves Potential) members serve in preschool classrooms focused on the social and emotional development of young children. Applications are accepted year-round, but condensed half time positions for open slots for the remainder of the 2018 - 2019 term start in January.

Moving the Needle on School Readiness
A Chance to Grow has been moving the needle on school readiness in southern Minnesota since 2013 through their S.M.A.R.T. program, a series of movements that focus on the stimulation of the brain stem.

Thousands of books donated!
ABDO Publishing recently donated 16,229 books to SMIF! We will distribute these books through our AmeriCorps program, Early Childhood Care trainings and conference, and Literacy Grant program.
Seeking nominations for SMIF's Board of Trustees
We are currently seeking nominations for our Board of Trustees . Two to three new trustees will be elected to begin their first term July 1, 2019 - June 30, 2020. Applications are due December 14 .

Upcoming Events
Fall Quality Child
Care Trainings

November 19, Owatonna
November 29: Lake City

FREE 2-hour DEVELOP-approved training for family child care providers.
Dinner provided & door prizes
PreK - 3 Regional Workshops
Owatonna

November 13
January 22
March 5

District-led teams spend the day learning and discussing essential PreK-3 program elements that will support their World's Best Workforce goals and ESSA implementation.
Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation | 507-455-3215 | www.smifoundation.org