Foundation Sponsors Early Childhood Education Conference to Support Policy Change

The New Haven based non-profit Gesell Institute of Human Development was recently awarded $12,500 in responsive and sponsorship grants to support its Early Childhood Leadership Conference on October 15, 2010. The conference has been designed to advance the current local and national discussion on education reform and to stimulate concrete change in early childhood education policy and practice, in New Haven and beyond. World-renowned figures in child development and leaders in education reform will discuss evidence based curriculum models for success and produce outcomes that will impact the future of education in New Haven and across the country. The overarching goal of the conference is to reintroduce and highlight the important role of child development in education, learning, and long-term school success.

Support was made possible through unrestricted funds at The Community Foundation, such as the John Elwyn Hobbs Fund, which was established in 1971 by bequest of Harriet C. Hobbs in memory of her husband.

Dr. Marcy Guddemi, Gesell Institute Executive Director remarked, “It is with pride that we bring this high-impact conference to the City of New Haven when New Haven Public Schools are in the midst of a major reform effort. A partnership with The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven will go far in leveraging other funds to ensure that the caliber and quality of LEAD is above reproach and positioned to make a real difference both locally and nationally.” 

Will Ginsberg, President and CEO of The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven, agrees, stating, “The work of the Gesell Institute to elevate the importance of early childhood education is invaluable to our community. If we are to close the achievement gap, our children need to be fully prepared for their educational experience and ready to succeed.”

Supporting programs that provide quality early childhood education and learning opportunities has been a priority for The Community Foundation for many years. For more information about the conference, visit http://www.gesellinstitute.org/events/