Providing Hyper-Localized Early Childhood Programming A Framework from the Early Learning Neighborhood Collaborative (ELNC)

This important and engaging resource offers a step-by-step framework for developing early childhood community programming that centers the learning needs of children, supersedes socioeconomic barriers, and activates the power of community. The book centers on an in-depth exploration of the Early Learning Neighborhood Collaborative (ELNC), a place-based, early learning collaborative that provides funding, innovative shared support services, and advocacy to partner organizations rooted in vulnerable communities, with the primary goal of readying children for the first day of kindergarten. The author details the concept and practice of a place-based intentional preschool system, including the lessons that were learned through the creation of ELNC and how it successfully prepares children of color for success in school and beyond. The program uses a two-generation approach in which families are coached to address barriers that keep them from being their child’s first teachers and are supported in navigating community resources. Through the insightful model this book provides, education leaders and early childhood teachers can learn more about emerging best practices in community programming, identify ways to adapt the ELNC model and test it in their current programming, and use the ELNC process to change their own neighborhoods for the better.

Introduction Chapter 1: The ELNC Model Chapter 2: Leadership Chapter 3: Collaboration: Partnering with Parents, Partnering with Place-based Organizations Chapter 4: Values Chapter 5: What is Child Development? Chapter 6: Guiding Principles: What ELNC Believes about Children Chapter 7: Looking Forward Appendix A: About the community experts quoted in this book Appendix B: ELNC report card 2010–2015

Dr. Nkechy Ekere Ezeh is a tenured professor of education at Aquinas College and the founder and pedagogical leader of the landmark Early Learning Neighborhood Collaborative (ELNC)—an umbrella organization for six grass-roots intuitions of trust vested in ensuring that vulnerable children and families have access to place-based, culturally competent, quality early learning opportunities. In 2012, Dr. Ezeh developed Empowering Parents Impacting Children (EPIC)® as the main component of its two-generational approach. This EPIC model is one that empower parents to take back their role as a leader and their child’s first teacher. Dr. Ezeh also founded Urban Core Collective (formerly Anchor Organization Network) that has an “indigenous leadership path” as one of their scopes of work.