Business and Community Outreach
To bring about lasting community change that boosts school readiness for young children, it is vital to engage business and community leaders. Whether they’re public champions, funders, policymakers or influencers, business leaders are powerful advocates.
Early childhood is the strategic focus for First Years First of Dubuque County, and we want to help our local early childhood partners to build and leverage business relationships to support early learning policy. Take a look at these tools to see what you can do to help!
- Why Early Learning Matters PowerPoint - This annotated PowerPoint makes a case for early learning in “business speak,” using graphs, charts, and statistics from the latest research. Speaker comments are provided. Includes “drop in” policy slides to tee up an argument for QRIS, pre-K, funding for 0-3, or support for family, friend, and neighbor caregivers.
- Why Early Learning Matters Brochure - A leave-behind that synthesizes messaging from the PowerPoint, with graphs, quotes, and messaging tested by public opinion research.
- Champion Action Tips - Once opinion leaders support you, then what? This is an 8.5" x 11" list of specific action steps champions in various industries and sectors — including government, schools, libraries, faith communities, and employers — can do to support early learning.
- Birth to Five Policy Alliance Resource Library - This is a one-stop shop for online resources from national early learning leaders to support your outreach and advocacy: Center for Law and Social Policy, Committee on Economic Development (CED), Council of Chief State School Officers, Fight Crime Invest in Kids, National Center for Children in Poverty, National Conference of State Legislatures, National Governors Association Center for Best Practices, National Scientific Council on the Developing Child, Ounce of Prevention Fund, Zero To Three.
- A Tale of Two Children Flash Video - This short early learning drama created by United Way of America can be used as an e-communication business outreach tool, as an ice-breaker for briefing sessions, or as a meeting starter.
