Born Learning
Parents and caregivers of young children understand that the early years are important, yet many aren’t sure how to encourage early learning, or feel they don’t have time to do what it takes to help their child succeed in school. Many communities are concerned about children coming to school unprepared, but aren’t coming together to give parents more choices and children more opportunities.
In response, United Way of America and United Way Success By 6 are partnering with the Ad Council, Civitas and Families and Work Institute to create Born Learning, an innovative public engagement campaign that helps parents, caregivers and communities create quality early learning opportunities for young children. Born Learning is designed as a tool for long-lasting community change that supports young children.
It has three cornerstones:
- Awareness – Providing important information about how young children learn. Born Learning includes nationwide public service announcements – television, radio and print ads and targeted billboards – in English and Spanish. The PSAs communicate that everyday moments can easily be turned into quality early learning opportunities for young children, as they are born learning. The ads drive parents to this Web site for tips, information and resources, where parents can download educational material and find a Born Learning campaign near them.
- Education – Providing easy, fun action steps that parents, grandparents and caregivers can use every day. Educational material provided by Born Learning makes it simple and easy for parents, grandparents, informal caregivers and professional child care providers to find out about, understand and apply the latest research to help children come to school ready to succeed. The material helps parents make learning fun and take advantage of everyday moments.
- Action – Providing a visible platform for public policy and action. Born Learning puts research-driven products – along with tools and templates for education and outreach – into communities through a national grassroots network that’s creating innovative ideas to help local children. And we’re supporting a mobilization effort that helps any community’s early learning efforts, providing tools, templates and training, along with more intensive national support for targeted communities or states.
Cowlitz County United Way is doing its part by bringing the Born Learning Campaign’s resources to our community. Our goal is to inspire everyone who impacts young children to make the best possible decisions to boost school readiness. And we aim to give each of them the tools to make long-lasting community change.
Visit the following sites:
Born Learning
United Way of America
United Way Success by 6
The Ad Council
Civitas
Families and Work Institute