Maine began working with First 10 Director David Jacobson in 2018, implementing First 10 practices in 13 schools across the state. This early work led to the creation of a state-level, cross-agency team that promotes connections between early education initiatives. Currently, the Maine Department of Education provides a state level support position and fading funding for a Coordinator in each community to support the implementation of First 10 practices. Maine is also focused on building a network between the First 10 communities across the state to provide opportunities for collaboration, learning, and support. This network-building effort includes hosting a community of practice for Maine’s First 10 Coordinators, quarterly virtual convenings, and a one-day summer institute. Maine is also working towards the sustainability of First 10 initiatives through braided funding sources and seeking different grants and partnerships with community organizations and business.
This innovative approach to implementing First 10 was shared at the December First 10 Network Meeting. Held on a monthly basis, the First 10 Network Meetings bring together First 10 Partnerships from across the U.S. to learn from one another and share resources, challenges, and successful strategies.
Showcasing First 10 Activities
At the December First 10 Network Meeting, the communities of Limestone/Caswell and Sanford offered great examples of supportive, dynamic teams implementing creative strategies to support First 10 initiatives. Here are some of the great activities happening across these Maine communities:
Connecting schools and communities: The Limestone/Caswell First 10 community has worked to connect their two towns with needed resources and services. Before the start of the school year, an open-house and community education fair was hosted to introduce students and their families to their teachers and classrooms. The fair also included 50 displays and presentations from organizations across Aroostook County, as well as opportunities to access service such as dental appointments. The Limestone/Caswell First 10 initiative has also led to the development of a Community Resource Center that provides access to information about community partners, programs, and resources.
Play and learn series: The Sanford First 10 community hosts multiple play and learn series to support families and caregivers. The play and learn series are held in central community locations and focus on children ages 0 to 4. Each series is held for six weeks and each session runs for 60 minutes. During the play and learn sessions, parents and caregivers learn about different strategies to support their children’s development while connecting with other families and community organizations.
Supporting the transition to kindergarten: Both Limestone/Caswell and Sanford First 10 initiatives support the transition to kindergarten for children and families. Limestone and Caswell teachers collaborated to develop a First 10 community booklist and shared this list throughout the community in bookmark form. Both schools also have First 10 community book displays to allow children and families to access the books.
The Sanford First 10 community has also created a book list and a bookmark that is also available in digital format to support accessibility.
This network meeting was a great opportunity for the First 10 network to hear successful examples of community implementation and gather ideas to take back to their own teams!