our community

Early Education Initiative

The mission of the TFEC Early Education Initiative is to cultivate, convene, and strengthen community opportunities for growth, safety, and wellness for all children, now and for future generations. 

Our Focus

The TFEC Early Education Initiatives believes

  • Children are at the center of the communities we serve.
  • Investing in resources that support children, strengthens our area communities for everyone.
  • Working together to build empowered, resilient, and collaborative communities in which children can live, learn, and grow is essential to the success and health of our region.

Guided by the expertise of the TFEC Early Education Advisory Committee, consisting of early childhood stakeholders who jointly represent the assets and needs of children and early childhood professionals within our area communities. The TFEC Early Education Initiative will address:

  • school readiness
  • building resilient communities
  • workforce development

Learn More

Learn more about the TFEC Early Education Initiative by downloading and sharing the following documents:

TFEC Early Education Initiative – A one page overview of the TFEC Early Education Initiative.

TFEC Early Education Initiative 2022 Report Card – Captures the work carried out by the TFEC Early Education Initiative in 2022.

Resources

Jump Start into Kindergarten Calendar

The Jump Start into Kindergarten calendar provides 12 months of school readiness activities, recipes, and resources for families in our five-county service footprint area. The first day of kindergarten can be so exciting for families, especially when they know what to expect and how to prepare for the changes coming their way. Our calendar provides concrete activities to help children arrive at kindergarten ready to learn and grow.

Early Education Resource Center

The Early Learning Resource Center was created to provide information on school readiness, coping with mental health issues during times of uncertainty, and resources on becoming a trauma informed community for educators, parents, and community organizations.

Click here to visit the Early Education Resource Center. 

School Readiness

Empower caregivers, connect educators, and deepen resources that help children enter school ready to learn.

Click here for more resources for School Readiness,

Building Resilient Communities

Foster trauma informed education, practices, and resiliency resources that impact the ability for families, caregivers, and individuals to thrive in our community.

Click here for more resources on Building Resilient Communities.

Workforce

Fuel cross-sector collaboratives that recognize early learning opportunities as crucial to the present and future workforce.

Click here for more resources on Workforce.

Early Education Advisory Committee Members

Carolyn Clouser, First Start Partnerships for Children & Families
Tynan Edwards, Dauphin County Library System
Karen Grimm-Thomas, The Pennsylvania Key
Brenda Hanthorn, Adjunct Instructor, Penn State University
Leslie Heimbaugh, Perry County Literacy Council    
Shawnee Hooper, Capital Area Head Start
Kim Istvan, United Way of the Capital Region
Nicole Lehr, Hamilton Health
Andrea Lown, Pittsburgh University/Catherine Hershey Schools
Lynda Morris, Partnership for Career Development
Alyssa Oertner, Shippensburg University Head Start & Pre-K Counts Program
Maggie Progin, Lebanon Family Health Services
Karen Quinn, United Way of Carlisle & Cumberland County
Amy Reed, Cumberland/Perry MH/IDD Program
Christy Renjilian, Community Connections for Children
Annette Searfoss, First Start Partnerships for Children & Families
Terry Telep, Capital Area Intermediate Unit
Tamara Willis, Susquehanna Township School District

 

Questions?

talk to our experts