The same quote is printed at the top of our weekly staff meeting agendas at Learn4Life.

“The strength of the team is each individual member. The strength of each member is the team.”
Famed NBA coach Phil Jackson spoke these words, and they apply off the court, too.

We talk a lot about collective impact at Learn4Life. That’s because it’s the philosophy that drives the work. There are entire articles written about the concept if you care to read them here. 

But broken down, collective impact is all about collective action. The impact created by a community working together is much stronger than they impact created by an individual or sole organization working together.

And back to Mr. Jackson’s words about teams: Without each team member or community partner, collective impact is not as effective.

What do you think about this idea? Have you seen this concept at work in your own field? Leave a comment below. Let’s keep the conversation going.

Meet Abbey. She came to work at Learn4Life today with her mom, Laurie, who leads continuous improvement efforts.

Here’s what Abbey wanted to say about spending this day with her mom at Learn4Life:

“I liked going to work with mom. I got to do some of her work. I also got to draw Learn 4 Life pictures. I got to go on the computer and find work pictures for her. I felt like I was a real employ. It was really fun.

I love school. My favorite subject is Science. My favorite special is Physical Education. I like Science because I like things exploding! I like PE because I like playing sports.”

The Learn4Life team loves having Abbey visit our office because she always makes sure our walls are covered with beautiful artwork!

We hope everyone is having a great day with your daughters and sons at work!

We posted about Make Summer Count a few weeks ago, and now, you can see the brand new, beautiful website for this initiative! (We’re pretty biased, but we think it’s great!)

Head to the new site to check it out and learn more about this huge community collaboration!

Learn4Life’s ultimate purpose is simple: We are working to unite and convene the Columbus community around important education issues and barriers facing children and youth.

We have three “big picture” focus areas: School Readiness, School Achievement, & Post-Secondary Access.

Learn4Life does not implement programming. Instead, we research effective practices, learn from our community as well as other communities about what’s working, and from there, our community partners take action.

Here’s what’s keeping us busy right now…

In the School Readiness space, we are working with childcare centers to help our youngest learners prepare for kindergarten. We have hosted (along with several of our awesome partners) free professional development opportunities for early educators. We are gearing up for our second annual “Language and Early Literacy Conference,” which will be in August. This conference is intended for teachers, principals, administrators, and anyone who wants to learn more about early education and effective teaching practices. It’s a great opportunity to learn from our peers. Leave a comment on this post if you would like more information as we plan the conference! We are also partnering with Cardinal Health to make sure young children learn healthy eating habits from an early age.

We are moving along in the School Achievement space, too. Last fall, Learn4Life convened dozens of nonprofit and community leaders to  brainstorm about how we can try to stop summer learning loss in Columbus. Summer learning loss is exactly what it sounds like. When children and youth are not in school, they lose some of the progress they have made throughout the year during the summer. This broad community collaboration is focused on two goals: 1) to increase the number of children and youth participating in FREE meal sites around the city and 2) to give Kindergarten through 3rd graders the opportunity to participate in fun reading activities while they are at a day camp or meal site AND to give 4th, 5th, and 6th graders the opportunity to keep their math skills sharp during the summer. We are launching a website that will have all of the information you need to MAKE SUMMER COUNT! (Site is launching Monday! Be sure to check back!)

Thank you to ALL of our community partners. We wish we could list all of you in this space, but it would take hours to name everyone who has been involved with Learn4Life up to this point.

Is this the first time you are hearing about Learn4Life? Leave a comment below and tell us that. We want to connect with you!

Something exciting is happening in Columbus this summer. Are you ready to Make Summer Count?

Last fall, in the spirit of collective impact, Learn4Life gathered community leaders, service providers, and nonprofits to discuss the affects of “summer loss” on students in Franklin County. Make Summer Count is a collaboration of nonprofits, corporations, and community leaders united by the belief that all children and youth deserve healthy meals and the opportunity to keep learning when school ends.

What does “summer loss” mean, exactly? Basically, it means that when school ends, learning stops for a lot of children. But it doesn’t have to be this way. It’s better for children to keep their reading and math skills sharp during the summer so they do not start the next school year behind.

The idea of summer learning “loss” is gaining more attention. Here are some facts about summer learning loss, according to the National Summer Learning Loss Association:

• Most students lose about two months of grade level equivalency in mathematical computation skills during the summer months. Low-income students also lose more than two months in reading achievement; their middle-class peers make slight gains.
• More than half of the achievement gap between lower-and higher-income youth can be explained by unequal access to summer learning opportunities. As a result, low-income youth are less likely to graduate from high school or enter college.
• Children lose more than academic knowledge over the summer. Most children, especially children at high risk for obesity, gain weight more rapidly when they are on summer break.

These are just a few facts regarding the importance of staying active, eating healthy, and continuing learning during the summer months.

This summer will be the first summer math and reading activities will be introduced at selected day camp and meal sites throughout Franklin County. So, children will be able to get a healthy meal and keep learning when school is out of session.

We are working on a Make Summer Count website right now so you will have one place to go for all of the information you need about this exciting initiative.

For more information, please contact us here and help us spread the word by passing this blog along to friends and family.

Let’s Make Summer Count in Columbus.

We are seeking a Project Director whose responsibilities include: organizing and sustaining a strong and representative network of cross-sector stakeholders focused on enhancing K-12 student achievement; leading the development, implementation, and evaluation of community-wide action plans; and coordinating meetings, researching best practices, grant writing, and working closely with funders.

Qualifications:
Bachelor’s degree in Education or human services required with 3- 5 years of relevant work experience in an educational setting. Experience in urban education preferred. Demonstrated success in facilitating multidisciplinary teams desired. Excellent project management and organizational skills, ability to work independently, and strong interpersonal skills required.

To apply, submit resume, cover letter and salary history to Ms. Taylor Swope, Communications Specialist: tswope@learn4lifecolumbus.org

The exhibit will feature photographs, videos, and original artwork created by the children and artists.

Click here for more details. We hope you will support this important collaboration!

Action for Children, one of Learn4Life’s awesome community partners, released this video by staff member Denise Bockrath, an infant/toddler specialist. The video shares tips for reading with toddlers. Enjoy!

That was so evident at the 20th anniversary celebration of United Way of Central Ohio’s Champion of Children signature event, held Wednesday, February 13, at the Southern Theatre and the Westin Columbus.

Several Learn4Life staff members were able to attend the event. (Thank you, AEP!) Jed Morison, Superintendent of Franklin County Board of Developmental Disabilities, was honored as the 2013 Champion of Children, while Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Ohio was awarded the nonprofit Champion of Children award for this year.

Renowned educator Geoffrey Canada spoke to a full house about an array of topics; Canada founded the Harlem Children’s Zone Project, which targets a specific geographic area in Central Harlem with a comprehensive range of services. The Zone Project provides services to 100 city blocks.

Mr. Canada shared powerful insights gained from his years working on the front lines in Harlem. Here are a few highlights:

• Regarding linking education and community development: “If you love your city, you can’t afford not to be a part of this.”
• The average cost per student per year is  an additional $5,000 for Canada to help his students get to college. However, the average cost to keep someone in prison is $40,000. Canada believes this country cannot afford not to invest in its children from the very beginning.
• Canada said in the beginning of the Harlem Children’s Project, kids didn’t recognize college as an option. Now, he says, based on his program’s success: “When people know people that go to college, it becomes more than just a fantasy.”

You can find more information on the Harlem Children’s Zone here, and also more information about United Way’s Champion of Children event here.

If you would like to watch the Champion of Children event, it will air on WOSU in the coming days and weeks. The schedule is here.

Learn4Life is searching for an administrative assistant to join our growing team.

We are looking for a highly skilled administrative assistant to work with Board members, staff, and community partners. Must be able to coordinate and organize meetings, schedules, newsletters, and files. Staffer will assist with various projects by compiling pertinent information from a variety of sources, as well as maintain and update office records, financial receipts, directories, and manuals.

Five years administrative/office experience preferred; excellent written and verbal communication skills to correspond and interact with all levels of management, external agency executives, customers, and other contacts a must. Knowledge of Microsoft Office required.

Interested?
Please send a cover letter and resume to Taylor Swope at tswope@learn4lifecolumbus.org

You can learn more about Learn4Life here and here.