Building communities where children thrive
by
Youth Media
February 14, 2011
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New Mexico
How can we make sure that our communities are places where our children can thrive? The Strong Starts for Children initiative is designed to help find answers to this question.
In the fall of 2010, five organizations in the greater Albuquerque area brought neighbors together in small-group conversations to create a vision of success for their children.
With the help of Everyday Democracy, participants in these conversations focused on early childhood development and explored ways to improve conditions in their children’s lives.
The fall dialogues covered issues such as early learning, health and education, childhood homelessness, poverty, the role of caregivers, and educational opportunities.
Youth from the KUNM Youth Media Project, under the direction of Roberta Rael, helped capture the Strong Starts processes for the five grantees. Below are three videos developed through this project (two more coming soon).
University of New Mexico Family Development Program
As part of the Strong Starts for Children initiative, the University of New Mexico Family Development Program (in collaboration with Decade of the Child, a statewide early childhood advocacy coalition) is involved with a project called "Launching the Decade of the Child: Strong Starts for our Children." This project is engaging traditionally marginalized people such as teen parents, urban Native Americans, immigrant populations, families without homes, and incarcerated parents in areas of Albuquerque to talk and act together to support children's growth and development.
Native American Professional Parent Resources, Inc.
With a mission to build healthy Native American children and families, Native American Professional Parent Resources, Inc. (NAPPR) is using the Strong Starts for Children initiative to bolster the ability of tribal and urban Native communities to incorporate parenting education and parenting support services, as well as to train community and tribal leaders in engaging their communities in dialogues on issues of early childhood wellness.
Cuidando Los Niños
As part of the Strong Starts for Children initiative, Cuidando los Niños (on behalf of the New Mexico Campaign to End Child Homelessness) and the National Center on Family Homelessness are leading an effort to address the needs of homeless families by bringing together in dialogue and problem solving people who have experienced homelessness, agencies and community organizations in the South Valley and Southeast Heights neighborhoods of Albuquerque and Bernalillo County in New Mexico.
Learn more:
Early Childhood Development
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