Early Childhood Applied Research Solutions™For Your Review and Consideration

Head Start and Early Head Start Experience

Susan Gunnewig, M.Ed. and Dale McManis, Ph.d. have had numerous experiences supporting

grant writing across many educational settings. Recently Susan had the privilege of rewriting

portions for Head Start funding grant for the Department of Health and Human Services for a large

agency which was approved. She wrote portions of HS grants for the Children’s Learning Institute

(CLI) at the University of Texas that were funded by the Texas Education Agency and

USDOE. During her tenure at the Children’s Learning Institute, Dale provided major assistance in

writing portions of state and federal grant applications. We both have assisted in writing or

advising Early Reading First which have been funded in Texas (Head Start/Child Care), California,

Florida, Arkansas (Head Start), and Oklahoma (Head Start). Dale and I have spent most of our

time in school districts and then at the university level. However, through these many years we

have had a very large number of relationships with Head Start programs and know quite a bit

about Head Start. Susan served on the Gulf Coast Head Start Advisory Panel for Dr. Rod Paige

for a number of years. We are well versed with the Head Start Act 2007, CLASS observation tool,

Head Start Child Outcomes, and the National Early Literacy Panel (NELP) findings. Our tenure at

the Children's Learning Institute provided us opportunities to participate in scientific early

childhood studies which are very evident in early childhood today. Migrant Head Start has been a

very important part of Susan’s career from a number of years. Her last grant

opportunity experience before leaving CLI was to include a large migrant Head Start agency in a

federal bilingual grant which received funding. Prior to joining the University of Texas, Dale was

co- and then lead evaluator for a Head Start Demonstration Project.

With respect to Early Head Start, Dale has become a student of the Zero to Three milestones and

both of us were involved with the research in the Children’s Learning Institute’s birth to three

studies which Zero to Three reflects in many ways. Susan is very connected with Even Start

which served this population in Texas and the nation and was asked to present at their federal

academies two different years held across the US. Often Early Head Start awardees would come

to these academies to learn of the most recent research.

We envision for new grants working collaboratively with agency leadership and staff. We would

be able to write the entire grant or write portions to support you in providing key pieces that have

to be research-and evidence-driven such as curriculum, instruction, progress monitoring,

professional development, and evaluation. We also bring a high level of writing ability so that we

are able to present your ideas in their best possible light.

If you would like to see our full vitaes please visit or feel free to call or email us:

Susan Gunnewig at www.linkedin.com/in/susangunnewigecars

Phone: 713-876-5492 Email: susangunnewig.ecars@yahoo.com

Dale McManis at www.linkedin.com/in/dalemcmanisecars

Phone: 713-647-1247 Email: dalemcmanis.ecars@yahoo.com