In November, the First 10 Partnership in York, PA welcomed Swati Adarkar, deputy assistant secretary of policy and early learning at the U.S. Department of Education (ED); Ralph Smith, managing director at the Campaign for Grade Level Reading (CGLR); and members of EDC’s First 10 team to their community to learn about their work. The visit began with a community breakfast event highlighting local initiatives supporting early childhood education. Adarkar, Smith, and EDC’s First 10 team also toured Hannah Penn Pre-K-8 School and held a listening session with district and community-based teachers and administrators.
The Spotlight on Early Education Breakfast, hosted by Community Connections for Children and the York County Economic Alliance, featured a number of speakers highlighting the work being done to provide childcare services and to support early childhood education across the York community. First 10 director, David Jacobson and School District of the City of York Superintendent, Dr. Andrea Berry-Brown spoke to a crowd of York City elected officials, community partners, and local business leaders about the positive impact of the First 10 initiative across the district. Dr. Berry-Brown shared, “With First 10, children have a strong foundation for learning and growth from the very beginning. Because of the commitment and labor of love from many of you in this room, our students and families are reaping the benefits of a robust educational framework. Together we are creating a community of learners dedicated to the vision of bearcats from birth in York City and ensuring every child has the opportunity to thrive from the very beginning.”
Adarkar and Smith also spoke about the importance of creating a strong foundation for children beginning with the transition to kindergarten and first grade. They emphasized the importance of supportive programming like that offered by First 10 for both students and their families to support academic success and socioemotional development. Smith praised the work of First 10 for the “ability to marshal the research, build relationships, and execute on the ground” to support early childhood learning.
The tour of Hannah Penn Pre-K-8 included classroom visits in grades pre-k, kindergarten, and first grade. The classroom observations showcased the First 10 work being done in with teachers through joint professional learning sessions and vertical collaboration meetings. Adarkar and Smith got to see the implementation of EDC’s Young Mathematicians (YM) math games, early literacy instruction, and kindergarten play across classrooms.
Adarkar and Smith then attended a discussion session with York City teachers and staff to learn about the on-the-ground experiences of teachers, administrators, and other First 10 leaders and the implications for school-community partnerships focused on young children and families. The session included a presentation showcasing teachers implementing the YM math games. Teachers and staff also had the opportunity to learn about national trends and developments related to early childhood education from Adarkar and Smith.
The visit offered a valuable opportunity to showcase York City’s First 10 model and the strategies the First 10 Partnership is implementing to support children and families across the York community.