Where in the world is
the ICS team?
WREN Upstate Summit
Amanda McDougald Scott,
ICS Research Associate, spoke at the
WREN Upstate Summit
on the role of childcare as an economic imperative for families and an economic investment for our communities. You can view the full panel discussion
here
.
Creativity Connects
ICS Senior Fellow
Janice Gruendel
, accompanied by
Allison Logan
of Bridgeport Prospers in Connecticut, served as keynote speakers at the recent
Creativity Connects: Arts in Early Learning
event in Denver. The Creativity Connects series brings together community leaders in five cities to spark a dialogue about early learning through the arts, implemented by ICS and the Wolf Trap Institute for Early Learning Through the Arts. Janice and Allison spoke about inclusion and social-emotional impacts of arts integration. We are happy to share an archived recording on our
website
- their presentation begins at minute mark 28.
Join us for the
final
Creativity Connects event on
December 5
in
Los Angeles.
This event will focus on S
upporting Early Literacy and Language Development Through the Arts
, with keynote speaker Yvette Sanchez-Fuentes (Community Action Partnership of San Luis Obispo County, Inc.).
RSVP now
!
Lessons from Finland
Media Coverage
Director of Policy Research Megan Carolan was
quoted
on interior design website
Apartment Therapy
discussing benefit of “granny pods” and extended family living for seniors - "Children also benefit from having a grandparent nearby, as a friend, caregiver, and partner in play, and parents may be able to reduce some of the stress on their own scheduling or the financial pressures of paid childcare by having grandparents so close to pitch in."
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New Resources
Child Advocacy Centers
Children’s Advocacy Centers (CACs) meet the needs of children and families facing one of the most stressful experiences they will ever go through - recovering from abuse. CACs are family-friendly facilities that investigate claims of child abuse, assist families and victims using evidence-based treatment, and play help families heal and rebuild.
With support from the BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina Foundation, ICS worked with CACs across South Carolina to understand their successes, needs, and opportunities for greater impact; we are proud to share these findings in a
new report
and an
blog
.
ICS shared the findings of our research with state policymakers and were heartened to find many individuals motivated to support this important work. Shortly before publishing this paper,
the state legislature enacted a full replacement of funds to offset an identified funding gap for the CACs.
In doing so, South Carolina became the 38th state to directly support these services.
We are grateful to Center Directors throughout the state who participated in this research and work every day on behalf of families in the state, and for the legislators who prioritized child well-being.
Childhood, Unplugged Recap
We are pleased to share a
highlight video
of our recent "Childhood, Unplugged" event in Denver, focusing on the power of outdoor learning for young children!
Connecting Systems to Serve Families
We're delighted to share a
guest blog
from Laura Camp, Business Development Manager of
LENA
. Laura reflects on her past experience in South Carolina classrooms, the innovative work of
Talk to Me Cherokee
, and how communities can begin exploring collaborations to improve child outcomes.
"State-level policies and systems impact the day-to-day life of program implementers, and S.C. communities are taking a close look at how to rebuild more connected, system-wide capacity."
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Call for Proposals - Submit by November 30!
Nurturing Developing Minds will be held
February 28 to March 1
in Greenville, South Carolina. This regional continuing professional development conference attracts a wide array of professional participants and provides an interactive learning and networking opportunity for a broad, interconnected workforce.
The Institute for Child Success will be partnering with the Children’s Hospital to sponsor the
Early Childhood Research and Implementation Symposium
in conjunction with the conference.
We encourage broad consideration of our theme,
Creating Environments in which Children and Families Can Flourish
. We particularly encourage proposals exploring the role of social determinants of health and information literacy in empowering families and communities. There will also be poster sessions for researchers to discuss their work with attendees.
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Staff and Board Updates
Merl Code Honored
We are delighted that Merl Code has been honored with the Visionary Leadership Award for his commitment to Greenville and for his dedication to equity for all. Merl is a dedicated ICS Board Member and we are humbled that he has chosen our mission as a place to leverage his leadership and influence. Thank you, Merl, for all you do for the children of our community. We are happy to share this
TOWN Magazine
piece on cracking "the Moral Code":
"The one-time 'Young Lawyer of the Year' has received South Carolina’s highest civilian award, the Order of the Palmetto and been inducted into the state’s Black Hall of Fame. Now, as he slowly steps down from the bench, and other posts, one group continues to hold his attention—the Institute for Child Success. The nonpartisan organization drives research and policy to help children. 'It started here in Greenville, and we now have fellows all around the country,' he explains, excitedly. 'The thing we’re most proud of is we got legislation passed for children to improve their health and educational opportunities.'"
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Join this two-day event featuring keynote speakers Dr. Junlie Li (Harvard Graduate School of Education) and Dr. Laura Jana (author, The Toddler Brain).
ICS is proud to help sponsor this event and will be presenting on new research related to early childhood discipline. Register
now
.
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Moving the Literacy Needle in South Carolina: A Community Conversation about Read to Succeed
Join us at the Children’s Museum of the Upstate to discuss South Carolina’s Read to Succeed law, which was passed in 2015 with the goal of improving early literacy by focusing on third-grade reading scores. The event will feature a conversation on the ongoing impacts of this law on South Carolina’s young learners and local efforts to build early literacy, featuring:
- Melanie Barton, Executive Director, South Carolina Education Oversight Committee
- Ron Fairchild, Senior Consultant, Campaign for Grade-Level Reading
- Jeff McCoy, Associate Superintendent for Academics, Greenville County Public Schools
A networking reception will follow the panel.
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The Institute for Child Success is
Founded and Fueled by:
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The Institute for Child Success is fueled by the BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina Foundation, the Mary Black Foundation, and BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina, an independent licensee of the BlueCross and BlueShield Association.
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ICS works in South Carolina and beyond on behalf of children from prenatal to age 8. Help support our research and advocacy with a contribution.
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See what's happening on our social sites:
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