THE POWER OF PLAY: BUILDING
Letter from the Lead Facilitators
As we celebrate five transformative years since the launch of our initiative, we are thrilled to share our progress and future plans with you. Just as a playground provides a space for children to explore, discover, and flourish, our mission is to ensure that all children in Gwinnett are ready to thrive in Kindergarten, turning each joyful moment of play into a building block for their future success.
Imagine a playground where every child has access to the best equipment, guidance, and support to play, learn, and grow. Our strategy is to ensure that all parents have access to the information, resources, and tools they need to be their child’s first and best teacher. We believe that parents are the architects of their children’s early learning playground, and we are here to provide them with everything they need to build a strong foundation.
Just like swings, slides, and monkey bars make a playground exciting and beneficial, everything we do is anchored in three key levers that we believe will result in all children thriving in Kindergarten:
Community Awareness:
In Gwinnett, we all recognize the importance of early learning and development and know how to access what is available. It’s like having a map of the playground, ensuring everyone knows where to find the best spots for learning and fun.
High-Quality Early Learning Resources and Programs:
In Gwinnett, our families have local access to high-quality books, materials, resources, and programs that they need and want. Think of it as having the best playground equipment that supports every child’s growth and development.
Collective Approaches to Success:
In Gwinnett, we collaborate, share resources, and provide collective support for broader resourcing for early learning. It’s like a community coming together to build and maintain the playground, ensuring it remains a safe and enriching space for all children.
Over the past five years, we’ve explored numerous approaches,
With Sincere Gratitude,
Kim Holland
GCPS Executive Director of Early Learning & School Readiness and Lead Facilitator
for Gwinnett Building Babies’ Brains
and based on the data, we are now able to focus on what truly makes a difference. Our early learning field trips, Impact Labs— ranging from large conferences to intimate sessions tailored for early learning centers—our expansion of Little Learners Academies in the community, and our community ambassadors providing personalized support are yielding remarkable results. These initiatives are like the carefully designed play structures that make the playground a dynamic and supportive space for growth and development.
In the coming year, our committed working group will concentrate its efforts through three dedicated action teams focused on enhancing community awareness, delivering high-quality programming, and ensuring the availability of resources that parents and caregivers want and need throughout Gwinnett.
Thank you for being a part of our journey and for your continued support. Together, we are creating a playground where every child can learn, grow, and succeed.
Jason West Deputy Director, Gwinnett County Department of Community Services
Lead Facilitator for Gwinnett Building Babies’ Brains
Swinging Toward Progress
Despite the recent KREP data indicating that 51% of children are not Kindergarten-ready (2% increase from last year), there are still positive aspects to highlight. Notably, 3% of these children were just one point away from achieving a proficient readiness score. With an increase in multilingual learners, children who qualify for free and reduced meals and those qualifying for special education services, this percentage is still worthy of celebration as the hard work of so many in the community are making a difference in the trajectory of children in Gwinnett. Our ongoing commitment to enhancing high-quality early learning experiences and resources remains unwavering.
51%
2024 KREP Score of children in Gwinnett are not ready for Kindergarten.
What is KREP?
• Kindergarten Readiness Entry Profile (KREP) measures skills in all domains of a child’s development including Cognitive Development, Communication Language and Literacy, Motor Skills, Social Emotional Development, and Approaches to Learning.
• KREP recognizes that a child’s readiness for school is not only defined as academically ready, but also socio-emotionally ready.
• KREP provides teachers with data to inform instruction, schools with performance levels to create meaningful class lists, and the district with data to determine the Kindergarten readiness of children entering GCPS.
• To meet the Kindergarten curriculum readiness benchmark, students need to score a minimum of 70% on the KREP.
• GCPS believes that children who score above this benchmark will be able to master the remaining skills while accessing the Kindergarten Academic Knowledge and Skills (AKS) curriculum.
Continuing the Climb: United for a Greater Gwinnett
Gwinnett Building Babies' Brains (GBBB) is a community initiative driven by a group of individuals who give their time, treasure, and talent to improve the lives of our youngest learners. We are on a mission to mitigate the Kindergarten readiness crisis in Gwinnett due to the fact that 51% of Gwinnett’s children are not arriving ready to thrive in Kindergarten. Our work is possible through grants, community donations, and in-kind support from many generous organizations and businesses.
Mission
Our mission is to ensure that all children in Gwinnett are ready to thrive in Kindergarten.
Strategy
Our strategy is to ensure that all parents have access to the information, resources, and tools they need to be their child’s first and best teacher.
3 Key Levers:
Community Awareness
In Gwinnett, we all will recognize the importance of early learning and development and know how to access what is available.
ResourcesHigh-Quality and Programs
In Gwinnett, our families have local access to high-quality books, material, resources, and programs that they need and want.
Collective Approaches to Success
In Gwinnett, we collaborate, share resources, and provide collective support for broader resourcing for early learning.
Everything we do is anchored in the three key levers that we believe will result in all children thriving in Kindergarten.
Fun and Focused: Our Playful Path to Positive Change
This year marked a period of significant growth in several key programs and projects. We expanded our professional learning and parent training offerings to support more parents and caregivers in being their child’s first and best teacher. Additionally, we fostered innovation and creativity by developing and implementing early learning field trips that highlighted a variety of interests and essential early learning skills. These efforts have not only provided educational experiences to our youngest learners in Gwinnett but also empowered families and educators, reinforcing our commitment to building community awareness and ensuring access to high-quality resources and programs.
Impact Labs offer both in-person and virtual training sessions for educators, parents and caregivers of early learners. Parent and caregiver sessions focus on understanding developmental milestones and engaging in activities like reading, playing, and exploring to foster a strong bond and promote learning. Additionally, they emphasize foundational skills for kindergarten readiness to ensure a smooth transition to school.
Our innovative approach to professional learning for early learning educators includes targeted sessions, professional learning credits, compensation for time, high-quality resources, and community clustering. By integrating these elements, Impact Labs empower educators with the knowledge, skills, and resources needed to support Gwinnett’s early learners.
Impact Labs: Reaching Higher, One Educator at a Time
Our Impact Labs aim to equip educators with the skills for high-quality instruction, build strong community partnerships, and ensure every available seat is of high quality. We aim to standardize and elevate teaching quality through high-quality professional learning opportunities.
Our innovative approach to professional learning for early learning educators includes targeted sessions, professional learning credits, compensation for participation, highquality resources, and community clustering. These elements empower educators with the knowledge, skills, and resources needed to support the holistic development of Gwinnett's youngest learners, ensuring they thrive in kindergarten and beyond.
It's important to note that the calculations of children served may overlap across educators. This highlights the extensive and interconnected reach of these efforts in supporting early learning and kindergarten readiness.
In addition to Cluster Impact Lab conferences, individual Early Learning Centers have requested specific Impact Lab training sessions for their staff. The smaller settings of these Impact Labs provide a more tailored approach to learning, offering targeted educator support that has the potential to significantly benefit a large number of young children.
3
School Cluster Impact Labs across
10 school clusters.
A total of 500 educators attended, collectively impacting 30,000 children.
To Date,
14 Impact Labs have been facilitated at centers, with
300 educators attending, and impacting over 1,800 children.
Early Learning Field Trips Spark Family Engagement
To date, there have been seven early learning field trips across various locations in Gwinnett, serving over 1,500 families and attracting more than 4,000 attendees. This current impact year alone has hosted four field trips, with over 1,050 families and nearly 2,800 attendees. Early Learning Field Trips such as Touch-a-Truck, Fun on the Farm,
Imagination Island, and those with a special needs focus offer parents and caregivers the chance to learn alongside their children. These events highlight that every moment is an opportunity to learn and share knowledge, skills, and resources that encourage and support children's development beyond the event itself. The overwhelming majority of
families reported that they "learned new ways to engage with their child" and "would attend another event similar to this one." They also indicated that the information and materials presented would help them support their child's learning and growth.
Climbing the Ladder of Learning
Impact Labs have also been instrumental in supporting parents of early learners. These trainings encompass a range of interactive experiences, where parents learn new and innovative ways to engage with their young children. Additionally, in-person and virtual presentations share valuable research on early brain development and emphasize the importance of frequent and early interactions with children. Through these efforts, we are equipping parents and caretakers with a comprehensive toolkit of knowledge, resources, and tools, supporting them as their child's first and best teacher.
parent training opportunities have been offered, attracting over 30 To Date, nearly
1,300 attendees.
Ambassadors Support Early Learning Through Community Engagement
Early Learning Community Ambassadors continue to play a key role in connecting families with essential resources. As trusted community members, they build strong, lasting relationships with families, understand their unique challenges, and provide personalized support. This expanding initiative ensures that families of early learners have ongoing access to the tools and resources they need to be their child's first and best teachers.
Little Learners Academy Slides into the Community
The GBBB Ambassadors, in collaboration with GCPS Early Learning Teachers, have expanded the Little Learners Academy (LLA) model to reach more families in the community. By partnering with community OneStops, they have brought high-quality early learning experiences directly to families. The Early Learning Teachers have creatively coordinated LLA visits to fire stations, grocery stores, libraries, and pizza parlors. This teamwork has provided valuable resources and support, ensuring more children have access to high-quality early learning experiences. These partnerships have successfully bridged the gap between schools and the community, creating a supportive network for early learners and their families.
A Bag Full of Fun: Empowering Parents with High-Quality Resources
These early learning kits are designed to equip parents with additional resources and knowledge to be their child’s first and best teachers. They include a variety of resources, including (but not limited to) books to foster a love of reading, small toys, and large floor puzzles to support cognitive and motor skill development, and parent tip sheets specific to the resources in the kit. These tools aim to enhance
early learning by providing parents with the necessary resources to effectively engage in their child's learning journey. Moving forward, the plan is to expand our reach, develop additional tailored resource bags, and ensure the kits are both high-quality and developmentally appropriate for families of early learners.
3,000 Nearly
early learning kits have been distributed in the community.
Brainy Award
Jason West was presented with the 2024 Brainy Award, recognizing his exemplary dedication, leadership and collaborative efforts in championing the Gwinnett Building Babies’ Brains initiative.
Donating to a Playground of Possibilities for Early Learning
Monetary Donations:
Better Day Concepts
Carol Winstead
Cartridge World of Suwanee
Community Foundation of Northeast
Georgia - Donor Advised Funds
Deborah Durrence
Fern Callwood
Frances Brooks
Georgia Power Foundation
Interlocking Communities
Kathy Greenstein
Kroger
Luis Falcon
Montie Bhavsar (Minuteman Press)
Nicola Gayle
Stephanie White
Target
Taylor Murphy
Resource Donors:
Culver's
Kona Ice
Goodwill
Gwinnett County Community Services
Gwinnett County Public Library
Gwinnett County Public Schools
Gwinnett County Public Schools Foundation
Lakeshore
Scholastic
Fundraising Partners: Willie Vaughn Woodhull
Since Jan 1 2024
In-Kind Donations Boost Early Learning Experiences:
B²Anywhere
BCDI-Atlanta
Corners Outreach
Georgia DECAL
Gwinnett County Government: Parks and Rec
Gwinnett County Public Library
Gwinnett County Public Schools
Early Learning and School Readiness
Georgia Early Education Alliance for Ready Students
Lakeshore Learning
Quality Care for Children
Rock Paper Scissors
GRANTing the Gifts of Play and Learning:
FY2022 Congressional
Appropriations Request Funding
Primerica
Ramlose Foundation
Building a Playground of Possibilities
Whether you're swinging by to invest your time, sliding in with resources, or climbing high with your unique talents, you have the power to help build babies’ brains in Gwinnett. Make a meaningful impact by financially supporting our projects and initiatives. Your contribution will help fund programming such as our Impact Lab professional learning opportunities, Early Learning Field Trips, and operational costs. Your generosity directly fuels our mission to ensure Gwinnett’s children are ready to thrive in Kindergarten by supporting all parents and caregivers in being their child’s first and best teachers.
Let's unite on this playground of possibilities to shape a brighter future for all of Gwinnett’s children!
TIME
Share this information with a co-worker, colleague, or organization that may not be aware of the current needs surrounding Kindergarten readiness in Gwinnett.
TREASURE
Contribute, as we will rely heavily on grants and donations to fund initiatives and campaigns to increase awareness and distribute support materials for children and their families.
TALENT
Contact us via our website, if you believe you can help out with any areas of our strategy, we’d love to hear from you!
