We never lose sight of the fact that families are their children’s first teachers, but we know that our classroom teachers are also vitally important. By investing in their professional growth, we all benefit. On President’s Day, we closed the centers to host our second-annual Professional Development Day focused exclusively on the needs of our classroom teams. The speaker lineup and breakout sessions were top notch, including a keynote on promoting adult resilience and a session on the power of play. Our teaching teams went home with some new tools in their toolboxes and are already putting what they learned into action in our classrooms. Thank you to the Gene and Rosemary Tanner Strengthening Teaching Fund and PNC Grow Up Great for helping us to better serve Hoosier families! Click the video above to watch a recap of the day.
At Day Early Learning, we believe each child must be understood within the context of their individual family, community and experiences. We embrace diversity and support learning in a rich environment that nurtures individual talents and addresses the unique backgrounds of each child we educate. In honor of Black History Month, our centers highlighted contributions by African Americans. From the inventor of the ice cream scoop to architects, fashion designers and stylists, to guest readers - each classroom and center is celebrating in their very own way. Take a look at what everyone's been up to.
Day Nursery Auxiliary Donates $40,000
Thanks to the huge success of their 2022 Style Show, the Day Nursery Auxiliary generously donated a total of $40,000 from all their fundraising efforts. Their donation will directly assist families through our tuition assistance program and helps fund our family communication tools. Members of the Auxiliary visited the Day Early Learning Lilly Family center for a warm celebration and to present the donation check to Maureen Weber, president & CEO, and Adrienne Bennet, VP of early learning practice. Click here to learn more about the Day Nursery Auxiliary.
Leading Child Care Access Discussions Statewide
Employers in Tipton County know that access to reliable early learning services is key to economic growth. Our Chief of Staff, Jonathan Dilley, was proud to present alongside a panel of experts from The Child Care Resource Network, ABC & Me Early Learning Academy, Park 100 Foods and the Office of Early Childhood and Out-of-School Learning for a robust discussion and Q&A. ELI will continue supporting the Child Care Resource and Referral Network in co-hosting and participating in upcoming panel discussions in Rush County, Orange County and Marion County. Click the buttons below to register.
Hubbard Hill Early Learning Center — a Closing the Gap grantee that received a $100,000 — hosted a "Leave Your Mark" event where guests had the opportunity to write a message on their new facility's beams. Jonathan Dilley, chief of staff, attended the event and wrote ELI’s message which read, "To joy and learning at every age and stage of life." We also recently hosted Kelly Nissan, Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Northwest Indiana, in our new offices. They received a $90,000 Closing the Gap grant to expand care in Lake County. Nissan toured Park 100 where our teams shared expertise on child care challenges and solutions. Learn more about Closing the Gap grants, made possible through the generosity of Lilly Endowment Inc.
Sparking a New Generation
ELI has participated in JobSpark — a two-day, hands-on career expo inspiring over 11,000 Indianapolis eighth graders — since 2021 to showcase the early education industry as a workforce pathway. This year, Early Learning Indiana was invited to co-chair the Government, Law and Public Service Cluster. Marienid González Meléndez, community outreach and engagement coordinator, has been selected to fill this role and will raise up the importance of the early childhood education workforce while engaging partners.
Family Resource Navigator at Indiana findhelp Summit
Findhelp, the technology that powers Family Resource Navigator, hosted a two-day event for Indiana organizations that use the social care platform to connect families to resources related to health, basic needs, job training and education. The event was an opportunity to celebrate our impact across the state, network with other community organizations and healthcare providers, and set goals for 2023. Kelsey Webb, senior manager of network initiatives, participated as a panelist in a session focused on how the Family Resource Navigator was integrated into the Child Care Resource & Referral (CCRR) Network’s workflow, in addition to child care referrals they already provide to families. If you know of any upcoming conferences or events Early Learning Indiana should be part of, please reach out to Natalie Brake, vice president of community outreach and engagement.
