Afina Learning: A National Initiative to Transform Professional Development
This session was presented during the BUILD 2022 National Conference.
Efforts to support professional learning and create equitable career pathways for the early childhood workforce have long suffered from a combination of content and delivery that don’t build skills, inadequate supports and funding, and too many “dead-end” trainings. This session will explore the possibilities of a new collaborative effort to create equity-focused career pathways for home- and center-based providers, directors and coaches using a custom-built, mobile-first learning platform and modularized, competency-based courses that stack into badges, micro-credentials and college credits/degrees that can be used to support compensation reform. Created with input from thousands of EC professionals, the Afina Learning system is bringing together many of the nation’s leading content providers to provide a “high-tech meets high-touch” system customizable for states.
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Child Welfare and Early Childhood: Cross-Systems Collaboration to Improve Outcomes for Young Children and their Families Webinar Series Report
Report May 26, 2023
This report summarizes the webinar series Child Welfare and Early Childhood: Cross-Systems Collaboration to Improve Outcomes for Young Children and Their Families. The five webinars were held monthly from January through May 2022 and were facilitated by Dr. Cynthia L. Tate, of BUILD.
Incorporating Home-Based Educator Wellness in Equitable Early Childhood Systems
Video May 2, 2023
In this session, Shayla Collins (UW Center for Child & Family Well-Being), Dr. Rena Hallam (Delaware Institute for Excellence in Early Childhood), and Dr. Laura Lessard (Childcare Wellbeing Initiative) shared Shining the Light on You, their innovative wellness program designed for family child care educators, and Pilar Torres (L.U.N.A.) discussed ways to embed HBCC wellness support into ECE systems for educators whose primary language is Spanish.
Story of the Granny Midwives
Video April 24, 2023
This video about the original midwives, is a reminder of the the systematic eradication of Black midwives, as well as the hope and promise of the work Black midwives and doulas are reclaiming.