Article Link: http://exchangepress.com/article/working-together-partners-in-unexpected-places/5021392/
Working with young children is all about relationships and building the kind of nurturing environment within a home or a classroom that allows learning and growth to blossom. Head Start programs also create a web of relationships among early learning settings and build bridges to local public schools where their children will eventually enroll. Yet there are other, less obvious relationships that do just as much to sustain programs and ensure their success: relationships with community partners, with researchers, and even, sometimes most importantly, with legislators. When thinking about how best to meet your program’s needs, it may help to build relationships in places you haven’t explored before!Community Partners
Every community has its own local resources: museums, libraries, religious organizations, zoos, state and national parks, businesses, food pantries, fraternal organizations, and more. All of these may have resources to help support programs or to provide new and deep learning opportunities for children.
Sometimes great partners aren’t the obvious ones. Banks are often very invested in their communities �" literally! PNC Bank partners with many Head Start programs through its PNC Grow Up Great initiative, which provides grants and resources. PNC’s Grants for Great Hours program gives employees paid time to volunteer and allows ...