Initiatives

The Community Ambassador Program

The Community Ambassadors Network seeks to identify key policy issues related to Wheelock's mission and create an online network for policy advocacy across all six New England states. The Network will also identify key legislators and policy leaders, and introduce them to Wheelock's programs and initiatives.

The Early Childhood Policy Coalition Project

The Early Childhood Policy Coalition Project organizes Massachusetts communities on behalf of children (birth through school-age) and their families. The Coalition Project equips communities with the skills and resources necessary to lead and advocate for successful change and provides support to ensure sustainability of these advocacy efforts.

Leadership Empowerment Action Project (LEAP)

Developed in 2000, LEAP (Leadership in Policy and Advocacy Project) is dedicated to building the advocacy and policy skills of early childhood practitioners through a twelve-week, credit-bearing course.

Governor's Readiness Project

Co-chaired by President Jackie Jenkins-Scott, this project is Gov. Deval Patrick's long-term plan for education reform in Massachusetts. The Education Action Agenda is designed to raise achievement of all students as measured against global benchmarks and to help prepare all students by 2020 to compete successfully in the global economy. The Plan builds on the success of the landmark 1993 Education Reform Act, and continues to construct a system that meets the specific needs of each child.

Mayor's School Readiness Action Planning Team

Co-chaired by President Jackie Jenkins-Scott, this task force is charged with developing specific strategies to prevent the achievement gap among the next generation of students, by promoting school readiness and ensuring the healthy development of the city's youngest residents. The APT is part of Boston's Birth to Five School Readiness Initiative—a campaign to increase the school readiness of the lowest-income Boston children through services at local housing developments and community centers

Winter Policy Talks

The Winter Policy Talks at Wheelock College were implemented in 2006 in efforts to convene interested individuals, policymakers, stakeholders and community leaders in a facilitated dialogue and learning opportunity about critical policy issues affecting children and families.

The first year, more than 225 people from very diverse backgrounds were convened to learn about and discuss: language development; assessment; the lack of physical education in the schools; and best practices in family support. In 2007 a more in-depth conversation took place with over 300 people on the prevention of the achievement gap focusing on research, promising practices and action.

The 2008 Winter Policy Talks focused on the Supreme Court cases of Parents Involved In Community Schools v. Seattle School District No. 1 and Meredith v. Jefferson County Board of Education.  The Court ruled 5-4 to limit the use of race in school integration plans. The June 2007 decision fomented nation-wide concern among school administrations regarding the constitutionality of their own desegregation policies.

Annual Community Dialogue on Early Education and Care

2009's Dialogue, Reinventing Partnerships with Higher Education, sought to strengthen and build connections between higher education and the early childhood community. Participants explored the possibilities in crafting a sustainable early childhood professional development system through the Federal Stimulus Bill by creating  and expanding  accessible, affordable, high-quality academic and professional development programs in higher education.