Acceleration Grant round two recipients announced
September 19, 2018
Three years ago, the Buffett Early Childhood Fund launched the Acceleration Grants, an experiment designed to inspire innovation and promote connection across the Educare Learning Network. Through these grants, network members collaborated to develop new approaches to coaching, science education, language acquisition, and social emotional development. They created new ways to measure data utilization and track the ongoing success of Educare graduates. And they mobilized parents as advocates and designed new approaches for collaborating with parents in support of family economic security. Network members also strengthened relationships with each another and developed their capacity as content experts in the network and field.
To continue this new approach to collective innovation, Buffett launched a second round this spring, inviting proposals for new projects and proposals to scale Round One efforts within and beyond the Educare Learning Network. They received great response to the Round Two Acceleration Grant RFP. Network members submitted 15 proposals—representing nearly every school and totaling more than $14 million in requests! Every project reflected innovative thinking, careful planning and meaningful partnerships within the Network, and each holds promise for the broader early childhood field.
After an in-depth review process, a committee of network leaders and external experts selected six projects for funding:
- EMBRACE Workforce Mindfulness Intervention Study led by Educare Denver
- Early Childhood Quality Teaching Initiative led by Educare Arizona
- Early Science Initiative led by Educare Miami and University of Miami
- Mindfulness and Mastery: Social Emotional and Executive Functioning led by Educare Omaha and University of Nebraska Medical Center
- Parent Ambassadors led by Educare Central Maine
- Coordinated Multisite Follow Up Study led by Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute – UNC Chapel Hill“The Acceleration grants are one of the best investments we’ve made. Over the past three years, these grants have been a vehicle for harnessing the talent, creativity and expertise across this network to foster innovation and connections among members for greater impact. I’m confident that these Round Two projects will improve practice across our Network and beyond, and support the achievement of our ambitious collective goals,” said Jessie Rasmussen, Buffett Early Childhood Fund President.Round Two Projects.
