City Leadership For Building an Early Learning Nation

Apply now to join the Early Learning Nation Technical Assistance Program

The Institute for Youth, Education, and Families is leading a movement of local leaders who are building thriving communities through a commitment to high-quality early learning experiences and we encourage you to join us.

We invite you to apply for our 18-month long  City Leadership for Building an Early Learning Nation Initiative, which is open to cities of varying sizes and geographic locations.

If your city does not yet have a strong history of work on early childhood but has the desire and commitment to get started, this opportunity is for you!

Six selected cities will gain access to the YEF Institute’s nearly 20 years of experience working with local leaders to expand early childhood opportunities and will receive in-depth technical assistance along with actionable strategies to advance early childhood efforts.

Applications are due by 7 p.m. EST on November 19, 2018.

+Application Invitation Letter

+Application

Please send completed applications to Alana Eichner at eichner@nlc.org, or feel free to reach out with any questions you may have.
 

A skilled and educated workforce is increasingly vital to a community’s economic vitality. Even when city officials do not play a direct role in governing their school systems, there are numerous ways in which they can exercise leadership to support public schools, expand alternatives for students who struggle in traditional educational settings, increase high school graduation rates, and promote college access and completion.  

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Mayors and city leaders play a pivotal role in the overall health and well-being of the cities and towns they serve. With generous support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF), the Institute for Youth, Education, and Families at the National League of Cities (NLC) is leading an effort to educate, train and build the capacity of city leaders to address the social determinants of health and improve health outcomes where individuals live, learn, work and play.  From seeding promising practices and innovative approaches to leading cross-sector initiatives, NLC will engage mayors and city leaders in problem-solving sessions, trainings and peer-learning networks to ensure health is a key factor in their decisions across a range of issues, including education, early childhood, housing, land use, transportation and community development.

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NLC supports and informs city leaders and stakeholders interested in improving public safety and reforming the juvenile justice system. We also provide peer learning and support to the growing number of citywide programs reconnecting young people to school.

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Research shows a critical period of child development is birth to age 8, not just physiologically, but also cognitively, emotionally, and socially, setting the basis for future health and wellbeing. Children are cities’ future and city leaders are well positioned to champion the needs of young children and families. NLC is working with city leaders to align early childhood systems, improve quality and access, ensure every child enters school ready to learn, and ultimately reaches their full potential.

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City leaders can help families and neighborhoods become more economically secure by connecting children and families to public benefits and helping families learn financial skills, save for emergencies and the future and invest in assets that generate wealth and income.

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The Strong Southern Communities Initiative is designed to provide practical help and advice to municipal leaders in Mississippi, Arkansas and Louisiana. It brings together local elected officials from across the region who want to improve outcomes for children and families, enabling them to share ideas and discuss the challenges facing their communities.

In addition, SSCI helps participating mayors and city councilmembers develop local action plans based on their unique circumstances and needs, and then connects city leaders to national experts and regional partners who can help them implement those plans.

Click here to read more about the Strong Southern Communities Initiative and sign the pledge form.