PHOTO BY CLARE JENSEN

Representatives from United Way and the Pierce County Early Learning Consortium visited GELC recently as a way to start building networks within the early learning community.

GELC sparks new partnership with United Way

By Clare Jensen

Grandview Early Learning Center (GELC) invited representatives from United Way and the Pierce County Early Learning Consortium for a visit Aug. 28.

United Way has established a strong focus on early childhood education, and the Tribe sits as a member on the consortium.

In the 12 years of GELC, this was the first time United Way paid a visit to the facility.

“I want to be really familiar with what is going on with tribal families,” said United Way President Rick Allen. “What we’re (the consortium) talking about what’s going on with the families…the early learning, and how has it expanded.”

The tour was a way for GELC to show off what they had been doing, where they are going, and some of the help they may need along the way to meet the 18-month-old consortium’s “gold standard.”

“I felt that this is the first step to networking with Pierce County,” said Peggy McCloud, director at GELC. “I thought it was successful.”

Part of the goal of the consortium is to link gaps among early learning centers, parents, children, families and available services.

“We’re taking a look at early learning from a systems perspective…how are they working together and not working together? Can we make better connections in different areas than we already are?”

Rick Allen noted that he was very impressed with GELC’s curriculum and focus on appropriate levels of development at all ages.

“They’re (GELC) doing some really advanced things, and they have knowledge to offer the rest of us. That information would be really helpful for the rest of us to know,” Rick Allen said. “We need to be better at this. We need to be better at leveraging what the other is doing.”

Rick Allen and Peggy McCloud noted that this visit is just the beginning of an ongoing conversation between the Tribe, the consortium and other facilities in the county, and they agree it is a good start. Even out of the tour some tangible connections and networking occurred.

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