Below are upcoming opportunities to explore.

Community Systems Statewide Supports (CS3) Updates  The Partner Plan Act Collaboration Institute is gearing up to launch its application for the second cohort. The application will be open from April 1-May 30 for supports starting July 1.

Preparing Leaders to Make a Difference for Students and Schools  Recognizing that school leaders play a critical role in school performance, states and districts are rethinking how they prepare principals. Join a webinar on Thursday, May 16, at 12 p.m. ET, to hear lessons learned for preparing principals and school leaders from New Leaders. The webinar will cover findings from a recent study that examined the effectiveness of principals prepared by New Leaders and identified competencies of aspiring school leaders that predicted better outcomes.

Building Systems that Work for Families: Training for Community Systems Leaders  Join the Ounce of Prevention Fund Illinois Policy Team — in partnership with Illinois Action for Children’s Community System Statewide Supports (CS3) team, Illinois State Board of Education, and the Governor’s Office of Early Childhood — for a full-day training for early childhood community systems leaders. This four part training is grounded in a framework for systems integration and alignment that focuses on reaching children and families with more complex needs. The training will feature a session on best practices in systems integration and alignment followed by two topical sessions on early childhood mental health and immigration. The final session will feature an activity that provides attendees with an opportunity to apply knowledge learned in the two topical sessions to the systems integration and alignment framework and develop a plan for action. The training is free of charge and lunch will be provided. Two in-person training options are available. Detailed session descriptions are below, along with information on how to register for the training.

Training One

Date: May 7, 2019

Time: 10 am-3 pm, registration begins at 9:30 am

Location: ILEAS Training Center, 1701 E. Main Street, Urbana IL

 

Training Two

Date: May 16, 2019

Time: 10 am-3 pm, registration begins at 9:30 am

Location: Nichols Library, 200 W. Jefferson Avenue, Naperville, IL

Registration deadline is one week prior to the date of the training.

Engaging Families in Early Childhood Community Collaborations This training will help participants identify strategies to reach priority populations, empower parents, and sustain a welcoming environment for families.  The next Engaging Families in Early Childhood Community Collaborations trainings are:

Applications are now being accepted for Illinois Action for Children’s Partner Plan Act Collaboration Institute!  Illinois Action for Children’s Community Systems Statewide Supports (CS3) team is accepting Requests for Support for the Partner Plan Act Collaboration Institute through May 31, 2019Learn more and apply for the PPACI second cohort!

 

2019 Partner Plan Act Conference: Equity from the Start Registration for the 2019 Partner Plan Act Conference is now open! The conference will take place in Bloomington, Illinois from 9:30 a.m. – 4 p.m. June 11. This annual conference brings early childhood system stakeholders to learn, network, and deepen their community systems knowledge and skills.

Seed Grants for Grandparents and other Relatives Raising Children are now available from the Brookdale Foundation Group  The Brookdale Foundation Group has issued a Request for Proposals for creating or expanding supportive services to grandparents and other relatives raising children.  Up to 15 programs will be selected to receive a seed grant of $15,000 based on progress made during the first year and potential for more in the future. Technical assistance will also be provided.  Any 501 (c)(3) or equivalent not-for-profit organizations can apply. The RFP proposal and guidelines can be downloaded. Proposals are due at the Brookdale Foundation Group office in New Jersey on Wednesday, June 12, 2019.

2020 Young Scholars Program Call for Proposals  The Foundation for Child Development is currently accepting proposals for its 2020 Young Scholars Program (YSP). YSP supports scholarship for early career researchers. The program funds implementation research that is policy and practice-relevant and that examines the preparation, competency, compensation, well-being, and on-going professional learning of the early care and education (ECE) workforce. Research awards are up to $225,000 for primary research and up to $180,000 for secondary data analysis. The deadline to submit a Letter of Intent is Monday, June 10, 2019, at 3:00pm EST.

 

Sharing A Vision Biennial Conference October 2-4, 2019  Save the dates for the Sharing A Vision Biennial Conference on Oct. 2-4 in East Peoria. This exceptional conference is planned to meet the needs of early childhood professionals and families in the state and is coordinated by the Illinois Division for Early Childhood of the Council for Exceptional Children in collaboration with the Illinois State Board of Education and the Illinois Department of Human Services. This conference will highlight Rosemarie Allen, a national expert on implicit bias and culturally responsive practices, and Jim Gill, an author, musician, and child development specialist who truly understands the benefits of play and movement for all children. To learn more, visit the Sharing a Vision website.

 

New Story: Parents of Diverse Learners Champion Differentiated Instruction for All Students  The ISBE Storyteller team recently posted a new peer-to-peer learning resource focusing on the phenomenal parent-teacher collaboration for special education at Waters Elementary in City of Chicago SD 299.  Read the story and view available resources. Please feel free to submit comments or reach out to the Waters team for more information.  Storytellers at ISBE identify, produce, and share stories of effective, replicable practices positively impacting schools across Illinois to inspire educators to engage in statewide peer-to-peer learning with the goal of better serving our students. Does your school or district have a story to share? Submit your story idea.