Building Supportive Communities Partnering with Libraries and Museums: Innovative Partnerships and Strategies

BUILD Mission

The BUILD Initiative supports state leaders to develop a comprehensive system of programs, policies and services that meet the needs of young children and their families.

This systems-building approach effectively prepares our youngest children for a successful future, while carefully using private and public resources.

BUILD and IMLS Partnership

Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS ) and the Build Initiative will create deliberate and mutually beneficial connections between the efforts of museums and libraries and those of early childhood systems’ builders to support the growth and development of children from birth to age eight, with an emphasis on children from birth to age five. The partnership will build relationships across the fields/sectors and embed connections in ways that can be replicated and sustained.

In Common

Focus on science of child development Core understanding of the importance of all domains of

development – social/emotional, – cognitive, – language/literacy, – physical/motor development and – approaches to learning

Access to children and families Many and varied programs that serve children and families Federal partnerships Multiple funding streams

In Common

In Common

Description of the Project

Michigan State Library

West Broomfield Library

Grand Rapids Children's Museum

Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum

Michigan Science Center

Questions and Answers

Agenda

Welcome Great Start Collaborative Directors, Parent

Liaisons and Great Start to Quality Resource Center

Directors

Great Start to

Quality

Resource Centers

Great Start

Parent

Coalitions

Great Start

Collaboratives

Collaboratives, Coalitions & Resource Centers

Connecting Communities for

Early Literacy

Karen Reish

Deb Biggs Thomas

Connecting

Communities

for Early

Literacy Build Initiative

Literacy Across a

Community

Children

Parents

Caregivers

Public Libraries

Non-profits (Big Brothers Big Sisters)

Great Start programs

Elementary Schools

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Current Statewide Library

Early Literacy Programs

Summer Reading

Michigan Reads!

Michigan eLibrary Resources (mel.org)

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Summer Reading

The statewide Summer Reading program includes providing high quality program manuals, graphics and other resources for an

Early Literacy Program

Children’s Program

Teen Program

Adult Program

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Michigan Reads!

Michigan Reads! is a statewide program highlighting the importance of early childhood and family literacy by focusing on a picture book by a Michigan author.

Programming kits go to: Public libraries

K-2 schools

Head Start & Great Start programs

Great Start to Quality Resource Centers

9/2/2014 13

MeL.org - Early Literacy

Resources

9/2/2014 14

Michigan’s Public Libraries and Early Learning Support

Clara Bohrer, Director West Bloomfield Township Public Library

•BA/MA University of Michigan

•MLS Wayne State University

•Past President, Michigan Library Assoc.

•Past President, Public Library Assoc.

•Member, IMLS Growing Minds Advisory Committee

Thank you to libraries in:

Kalamazoo, Holland, Charlevoix, Rochester, Kent County, Grand

Rapids, Bloomfield Twp., Monroe County, Kalkaska County, Farmington Hills, Saginaw, Lansing, Traverse City, Ann Arbor, Brighton, Hartland, Detroit, Clinton/Macomb Townships, Southfield, Marquette

Our Michigan Public Libraries

• Trusted institutions within communities across the state

• Community-driven services, resources and collections

• Accessible, welcoming, safe, and user-focused

• Inclusive with continuing efforts to reach new and non-traditional users

• Support for lifelong learning

• Promote a culture of reading

• Serve as digital hubs supporting digital and information literacy

• A willing community partner to collaboratively address community needs, interests, challenges, issues

Michigan Public Libraries and Early Learning

Guiding principles:

• Learning begins at birth

• Parent is the child’s first teacher

• Support parent/family engagement

• Respect for individual experience, views and culture

• Support for reading proficiency by 3rd grade

• Research-based practice and information

• Dedicated to community-wide coalitions and partnerships to reach high need families

Access to High Quality Collections

• Board books, picture books (stories and non-fiction), music CDs, DVDs, etc.

• Bilingual materials

• MeL digital resources and more (interactive books)

• Parenting collections

• Early literacy kits

• Professional and support materials for child care providers

• Librarians are proficient in selection, readers’ advisory and finding information

Programming for Children and Families

• Literacy-rich, active story times (babies, toddlers, and preschoolers with caregivers; family)

• Learning activity programs(caregiver/child)

• Play groups • Summer Reading and

Read to Me • Special events and

outreach • Host early learning

programs and events

For Parents and the Early Learning Community

• For parents – Parent/caregiver

education programs and outreach presentations

– Preschool fairs

– Parenting/early literacy information and tip sheets (print/online)

– Information on local community resources, programs and initiatives

– Connecting parents

• For childcare providers – Visits to Library/with program

– Outreach visits to classrooms

– Continuing education workshops for providers

– Deposit collections for classroom use

– Teacher/provider library cards

• For ELC Community – Space to hold meetings,

training, special events

– Cross-promotion of events, services, resources

Space and Place for Families Informal Early Learning Environment

• Educational toys/games

• Interactive activities for caregiver-child

• Computers and tablets

• Trend to support unstructured play

• Capturing space for play

• Puppets and dress-up

GSTQ on Partnerships—Libraries Can: • Publicize the importance of high quality child care and preschool

• Promote community, child and family activities and initiatives

• Publicize meeting space for community groups working to improve the quality and availability of programs and services supporting families with young children

• Help parents gain access to online resources about parenting and child development

• Publicize special collections of parenting materials, as well as resources and books for young children

• Offer family programs in early care and learning, and provide family resource centers and other community settings

• Host story times for the youngest children and their caregivers

• Encourage families to read to children beginning at birth

and throughout childhood

• Share online library services with early childhood programs

• Sponsor or host parenting and family literacy classes

AND WE DO!

ROBERT DEAN

Access Program Reduced Fee Family Nights Every Thursday

Scholarships for Field Trips

Memberships to Human Service Agencies

Special Needs Nights

Memberships to area Libraries:

Check out a free pass to GRCM

30 Libraries

Over 200 visits

Our Mission

To inspire people to discover the

wonder of science, technology,

engineering, art and math. Our

vision is to be a leader in imaginative

and interactive learning experiences.

• Located in Southeastern

Michigan

• 263,000 annual participants

• Close to 6,000 member families

• Core audience of young families

(< age 8)

• Built on collaboration and

partnerships

• Regional, statewide and

national reach

Presented by

Mel Drumm, Director

Ann Hernandez, Director of Programs

Serving Preschoolers

Onsite

Outreach

Special Programs

Engaging the Young

Onsite, Outreach, Special Programs

ScienceWorks Preschool-focused Lab Programs

Exhibits –

Engineers on a Roll

Stand Alone Preschool Gallery

Special Programs

PNC Mobile Learning Adventure, Mott Teddy Bear Clinic

Story Time

Preschool Month

Guest Performers

Outreach to communities near and far

Schools, Libraries, Community Centers, Events & Festivals

Distance Learning Videoconferencing

Opportunities to Increase Participation

• Marketing & Awareness:

Schools, Libraries, Child Care

Network, Providers, Membership

• Partner Coordination of Services

• Cost Offset: Scholarships, Waived

Admissions, Coordinated Granting

• Transportation

• Finding a place for science in the life of a

preschool family

What is needed to better/further serve

preschoolers?

• Expanding resources to serve the whole

family

• Networking and shared training of the

expert providers

• Engaging a community of right partners

Looking Beyond

CORE TEACHING PRINCIPALS IN THEIR PARTICULAR RELEVANCE TO EARLY CHILDHOOD LEARNING

Dr. Tonya Matthews

Core Teaching Principals in their particular relevance to early childhood learning

The Michigan Science Center is a hands-on learning STEM engagement center that supports “whole brain learning” and child development.

• The principals of science exploration mirror young learners orientation to their world.

• Interest breeds excellence. • The combination of exploration, inquiry, hands-on

participation, and relevant engagement mitigates differences in learning ability or trajectory.

• The integrated approach to STEM learning mirrors the integrated approach of young learner teaching pedagogy.

• Partnerships are good. Teachers are professionals. Parents are our frontline.

Early Childhood Supports • Exhibits and Spaces

– Kids Town- engaging activity areas organized into a child-scaled ‘town’ designed to support development of social and motor skills while exploring the basic STEM concepts

– Traveling Exhibits- specialized exhibits for early childhood are brought in like KidStruction Zone, Wish Upon a Butterfly, and Stingray Cove

• Open Programs – Young Explorer program- storytelling program themed

around science and tied with hands-on activity

– Preschool Camps- specialized half-day camps for preschool and kindergarten students

• Classroom Supports – Theater Shows- on-demand Planetarium “The Little Star

that Could” and “Junior Astronomer” and “and IMAX show “Animalopolis” and “Dolphins”

– Traveling Science Programs- early childhood-specific science workshops that integrate literacy and exploration

• Teacher Professional Development – Customized STEM hands-on inquiry-based workshops

connecting literature and science concepts for teachers Preschool-Grade 2

Contact Information

Questions

Contact Information

Sherri Killins Ed.D

Director of Systems Alignment and Integration

The BUILD Initiative

203-645-4869

Contact Information