Think Small

TO ADVANCE QUALITY CARE AND EDUCATION OF CHILDREN IN THEIR CRUCIAL EARLY YEARS.

STRENGTHEN FAMILIES: FAMILY ENGAGEMENT: THINK SMALL IS COMMITTED TO STRENGTHENING FAMILY'S ACCESS TO HIGH QUALITY CARE AS WELL AS INCREASING THEIR KNOWLEDGE ABOUT EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT AND PREPARING CHILDREN FOR KINDERGARTEN. THINK SMALL PARENT-POWERED TEXTING DELIVERS EVIDENCE-BASED TEXTING MESSAGES TO PARENTS AND CAREGIVERS, ACROSS MN, FOR CHILDREN BIRTH TO 5 YEARS OLD. THESE SHORT TEXT MESSAGES ENCOURAGE PARENTS TO DO FUN AND ENGAGING ACTIVITIES WITH THEIR CHILDREN TO INCREASE THEIR LITERACY AND NUMERACY DEVELOPMENT AS WELL AS TIPS ON HOW TO BE HEALTHY. OVER 10,000 FAMILIES ARE CURRENTLY ENROLLED. SCHOLARSHIPS AND OTHER FINANCIAL SUPPORTS: THINK SMALL SERVES PROVIDERS AND FAMILIES WITH TARGETED FINANCIAL SUPPORTS. THINK SMALL ADMINISTERS OVER 4,700 ELIGIBILITY-BASED SCHOLARSHIPS FOR FAMILIES TO ENROLL CHILDREN IN QUALITY CHILDCARE PROGRAMS IN ORDER TO REDUCE OPPORTUNITY GAPS.

PREPARE PROVIDERS: PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT, CONSULTATION, AND COACHING: THINK SMALL PROVIDES METRO-WIDE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES FOCUSED ON THE ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS OF HIGH-QUALITY CARE. OPPORTUNITIES INCLUDE CLASSES AND WORKSHOPS PROVIDED IN ENGLISH, SPANISH, HMONG, SOMALI, OROMO, AMHARIC, AND KAREN; INDIVIDUAL AND SITE-BASED CONSULTATION AND COACHING SUPPORT; BUSINESS SUPPORT TO HELP MAINTAIN A SUCCESSFUL CHILDCARE BUSINESS; AND CAREER GUIDANCE FOR CERTIFICATION AND LICENSING. OVER 11,000 CHILD CARE PROVIDERS TAKE PART IN TRAININGS AND COACHING EVERY YEAR. COMMUNITY OUTREACH AND ACCESS: THINK SMALL'S MULTILINGUAL OUTREACH STAFF CONNECTS WITH HISTORICALLY UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES, INCLUDING THOSE IN LOW-INCOME NEIGHBORHOODS, ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS (ELL), COMMUNITIES OF COLOR, IMMIGRANT, AND REFUGEE FAMILIES, SO THEY CAN FULLY ENGAGE IN MINNESOTA'S EARLY CHILDHOOD CARE AND EDUCATION SYSTEM. STAFF ASSIST NEARLY 1,000 NEW IMMIGRANT AND OTHER FAMILIES AND PROVIDERS NAVIGATING COMPLEX GOVERNMENT SYSTEMS, CONNECTING THEM TO RESOURCES AND SERVICES AVAILABLE AT THINK SMALL AND OTHER ORGANIZATIONS. STAFF PROVIDE LANGUAGE TRANSLATION AND INTERPRETATION FOR PROVIDERS AND FAMILIES. PUBLISHING: REDLEAF PRESS IS OUR AWARD-WINNING, INTERNATIONAL PUBLISHER OF EXCEPTIONAL EARLY LEARNING CURRICULUM, PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT MATERIALS, AND BUSINESS RESOURCES. REDLEAF PUBLISHES MORE THAN A DOZEN NEW TITLES EVERY YEAR AND HAS APPROXIMATELY 400 TITLES IN PRINT. REDLEAF PRESS HAS 56 BOOKS TRANSLATED INTO 12 DIFFERENCE LANGUAGES. OVER 200,000 PRODUCTS ARE DISTRIBUTED EACH YEAR TO CUSTOMERS BOTH IN THE U.S. AND ABROAD. LIBRARY A BRANCH OF THE ST. PAUL PUBLIC LIBRARY: THE DEBRA S. FISH EARLY CHILDHOOD LIBRARY IS AVAILABLE STATEWIDE. NOW NUMBERING OVER 6,500 ITEMS, THE LIBRARY'S COLLECTION IS A PART OF MINNESOTA'S PUBLIC INTERLIBRARY LOAN SYSTEM AND MATERIALS CAN BE DELIVERED TO ALL LOCAL LIBRARIES.

CATALYZE CHANGE: BEANSTALK: THINK SMALL HAS AN INNOVATION LAB WHERE HIGH-POTENTIAL SERVICES ARE DEVELOPED, IMPLEMENTED AND WHEN MERITED, SCALED, WITH THE END GOAL OF ENSURING EVERY CHILD IN MINNESOTA IS READY FOR KINDERGARTEN. THINK SMALL PARTICIPATES IN A VARIETY OF STATE AND NATIONAL EARLY LEARNING POLICY COALITIONS AND WORKGROUPS AND PLAYS AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN ADVANCING POLICY EFFORTS SUCH AS PARENT AWARE, EARLY LEARNING SCHOLARSHIPS, CHILDCARE ASSISTANCE AND MOST RECENTLY THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OF THE CHILD CARE SECTOR. BY LEADING FROM THE DEVELOPMENT OF POLICY CONCEPTS THROUGH THE PILOTING STAGES AND BY HELPING TAKE PROMISING INITIATIVES TO SCALE, THINK SMALL HAS HELPED IMPROVE ACCESS TO QUALITY EARLY LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES AND HAS HELPED BUILD ACCOUNTABILITY IN THE SYSTEM. THINK SMALL CONTINUALLY FOCUSES ON OUR EFFORTS ENSURING THAT FAMILIES HAVE A VARIETY OF HIGH-QUALITY EARLY LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES THAT WILL PUT THEIR CHILD ON THE PATH TO SCHOOL AND LIFE SUCCESS.