Baby Care Closet | Office of Early Learning

The City of Chattanooga’s Office of Early Learning (OEL) exists to assist families, children, and childcare providers with resources to push students closer to the start line. Think about entering kindergarten prepared in the realm of language and cognition ability. OEL also provides parents with the appropriate education and experiences for families with young children that they may not have access to otherwise.

OEL firmly believes that you can not support the child without supporting the entire family. We feel ya, OEL.

With over 32% of our region's children living in poverty, its hard to ignore that our neighbors are living without basic necessities.

Our $3,000 will allow the OEL, a division under Chattanooga Department of Early Learning, to create a young children's care closet that will support families of small children. By providing items such as diapers, wipes, clothing, personal hygiene, formula, laundry detergent, and other expensive, yet mandatory items to families in need, we can alleviate some economic barriers that may allow families to engage in other brain-building experiences.

Equity in Action Symposium | HCDE Office of Equity

Did you know Hamilton County Schools (HCS) has an Office of Equity & Advocacy? Yeah, they do. And they’re doing cool stuff. Before we get into the specifics, let’s get on the same page about what educational equity is.

Educational equity means every student receives what they need to help them reach their full potential regardless of race, language, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, religion, physical ability, or any other characteristic of their identity. 

As part of their 3-year Educational Equity Plan (EEP), the Equity in Action Symposium was created to better equip educators to be grassroots change-makers for addressing inequities throughout the district. The Equity in Action Symposium is a day of professional development for educators to better understand educational equity, how they can incorporate it in their spaces, and who they can turn to in partnership to make a difference for their schools and students. This year, sessions ranged from restorative practices to cultural competency, social-emotional and academic development, building belonging, nonviolent approaches to communication, student success strategies, facilitating courageous conversations, and drivers for economic inequality. 

We didn’t fund the entire symposium. We’re not that boss. But we did play an important role. Our $3,000 went to fund 30+ substitute teachers so that permanent teachers could attend the symposium. Budgeted for only school administrators and leadership, our funding allowed those in the classroom to attend.

Side note: we couldn’t be more proud to be featured as a sponsor on the below recap.