“I will never apologize for embracing joy and beauty – even when the world is falling apart – because joy and beauty are my fuel for activism.”
– Karen Walrond
CS3 Updates
Register Now for the Partner Plan Act Conference!
Equity from the Start Interdependent Self and Community Care
May 6-8 | 10a.m. – 2p.m.
This year, we will focus on the interdependence of self and community care as an essential component of sustainable systems change. Working toward equity requires balancing personal well-being and collective action. When individuals feel supported, they can better contribute to the strength of their communities. Likewise, when communities prioritize care for members, they create environments where individuals can thrive.
Join Us for a Fireside Chat with Dr. Teresa Ramos!
Inaugural Secretary of the Illinois Department of Early Childhood (IDEC)
Opening Keynote
Closing Keynote
Read more about our keynote speakers and stay tuned for more information and announcements!
Last Chance to Complete CS3’s Annual Training Needs Assessment
To help us prepare for future training and technical assistance plans and provide you with the best opportunities, please complete this Training Needs Assessment survey. It should only take about two to three minutes. The results will inform future content of our trainings, On-Demand Learning courses, and the Partner Plan Act Conference. As always, your responses are completely anonymous; however, you now have the option of providing your contact information if you would like to share more detailed feedback.
We’d love to hear from as many of you as possible! Please complete the survey by Friday, April 25.
Collaboration PLC Open Forum
The Professional Learning Community (PLC) provides a dedicated forum for Illinois Early Childhood Community Collaboration Leaders to connect, reflect, and engage in thought partnership during this time of transition. This PLC is not designed to provide all the answers but to serve as a space where leaders can learn from one another, work through challenges, and lean on fellow professionals in the field.
- This Professional Learning Community is an evolving space that will be shaped by its participants, ensuring it remains relevant, responsive, and valuable to the leaders who join.
- Please note, this session will not be recorded.
Date: Thursday, April 24
Time: 11 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Additional ECEC Resources
Find information from the National Council of Nonprofits on recent executive orders that may affect nonprofits directly or indirectly: Executive Orders Affecting Charitable Nonprofits
For more resources, please visit the Partner Plan Act website.
Upcoming CS3 Trainings and Events
From Partnership to Leadership: Strengthening Family Engagement for Lasting Impact
Join us in-person for this exciting and interactive session to learn how strong family engagement leads to lasting impact for early childhood community collaborations! The session will provide a structured approach to strengthening family engagement and participants will walk away with strategies and tools for meaningful and inclusive family involvement.
Training Objectives:
- Mapping Stakeholders and Strengthening Community Connections – Identify key community partners, clarify roles, and build inclusive collaborations that reflect diverse family voices.
- Choosing and Implementing Family Engagement Roles – Assess and expand meaningful opportunities for family involvement that align with engagement goals.
- Sharing Decision-Making Power with Families – Explore strategies and tools to foster equitable power-sharing, ensuring families are active partners in shaping early childhood initiatives.
- Leadership Development for Families – Empower families with the knowledge, skills, and pathways needed to take on leadership roles and drive sustainable change.
This training will be led by Jaclyn Vasquez and Dra. Alexandra Escobar
Location: In person, Naperville, Illinois
Date: Friday, June 13
Time: 10 a.m. – 1 p.m.
- This training series is eligible for Gateways credits and certificates issued in collaboration with The Center: Early Childhood Professional Learning.
- Please note, this training will not be recorded.
Collaboration highlight: lunch & learn — Dekalb basics
Discover the successes of community collaboration partners making a significant impact, take away fresh ideas and strategies to implement in your own organization, and connect with a network of professionals dedicated to advancing community collaboration.
Stay tuned for more information!
Date: Tuesday, June 3
Time: 12 – 1 p.m.
Mini cohort: the power of storytelling
If you are an early childhood community collaboration leader or partner, we invite you to join our Power of Storytelling Mini Cohort as a representative of your collaboration! Addressing the popular demand, this cohort dives deep into how storytelling can be used as a tool for trust-building, collective action, funding, and systemic change. Whether you’re strengthening partnerships, advocating for policies, or writing your next grant proposal, these sessions will equip you with the skills to center authentic community narratives and shift how stories are heard and used.
This series will be led by Jaclyn Vasquez and Rebecca Halperin.
Part 1: Thursday, July 10
Part 2: Thursday, July 17
Part 3: Thursday, July 31
Part 4: Friday, August 8
Time: 10 a.m. – 12 p.m.
- This cohort requires you to attend all four sessions as a representative of your collaboration.
- This series is eligible for Gateways credits and certificates issued in collaboration with The Center: Early Childhood Professional Learning.
- Please note, this event will not be recorded.
maximizing your impact: the power of a clear data strategy
During this free webinar, we’ll explore how a data strategy can strengthen decision-making and drive better organizational outcomes. We’ll also share insights from our work with EPEL.
This Webinar is hosted and provided by EduDream.
Date: Wednesday, April 30th
Time: 1 – 2 p.m.
For Providers & Educators
Little Minds BIG FEELINGS: Building Social-Emotional Success for ALL Children
This event will focus on the critical importance of fostering social-emotional development in young children, a key factor in setting the stage for lifelong learning, success, and well-being.
This is an Illinois Pyramid Model Event.
Location: Northern Illinois University Naperville Conference Center
Dates: June 3, June 4
Time: 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.
WeConnect/On-Demand Learning
WeConnect is designed to bring together members who are dedicated to advancing Community Systems Development in the Early Childhood Education and Care world.
WeConnect gives you access to:
- Online Communities: Connect with your collaboration, get early childhood and community systems development news, and meet other collaborations members online.
- Discussions: Ask questions and share your knowledge and ideas.
- Resource Libraries: Share and find resources you need.
- Member Directory: Get in touch with other collaboration members.
WeConnect also offers CS3’s Gateway-accredited, on-demand online courses. Free and accessible at any time you and your collaboration members can access courses on Governance, Community Systems Development, Coordinated Intake and more.
Be sure to check out our newest online module, Fiscal Sustainability101.
Please note, check your spam folder if you have not received a confirmation email.
Resources
Access Printing Support
The CS3 team is continuing to offer support in partnership with American Color Labs for printing services. If your local early childhood collaboration has marketing materials that you’d like to print, please complete this Request for Support form.
Printing support can include flyers, annual reports, marketing collateral, stickers, banners, posters, and more. Please reach out to the CS3 team if you have questions about this support.
PLEASE NOTE: This is a service provided specifically to early childhood education and care (ECEC) collaborations. Unfortunately, we cannot accommodate requests for individual programs.
Training Opportunities in Collaboration with The Center:
Early Childhood Professional Learning
April 21 – Nature Brain (The Morton Arboretum)
April 28 – Nature Brain (Forest Park Nature Center)
Be sure to visit The Center’s Training Calendar for more opportunities.