GlobalGiving.org: Steve Nash: Quality Early Learning For Little MVPs

Educare Arizona Winter Update!

Jenny Miller — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 19:33:45 GMT

Steve - Educare Arizona's Toddler Classrooms

The Grand Opening! October 27 and 28, 2011

With children filing the courtyard and a host of policy makers, movers and shakers, and community stakeholders, Educare Arizona Board member and Southwest Human Development CEO Ginger Ward, Educare Arizona Executive Director Billie Enz, and Educare Arizona Board President and Balsz School District Superintendent Jeff Smith cut the ribbon on this new, state of the art early learning facility in Phoenix, Arizona; the next evening, donors joined Steve for tours, speeches and a celebration of all we've accomplished.

Of course, the real work begins now. Our teachers are developing innovative new ideas for excellence in the classroom, strategic policy sessions are shaping our goals for the next decade and beyond, and local talent - like artist Joan Baron, and our creative neighbors and new supporters of Educare Arizona - are infusing the culture of the school with the diversity that populates its community.

Getting to tour the people with whom we've been talking about Educare Arizona for years was a very meaningful moment in time for Steve and me, and we look forward to seeing each of you at some point down the road. Please know how much your support has meant and will continue to mean to us and to the young MVPs we serve.

With hopes for a peaceful season,

Jenny

Links:

Support Educare Arizona at stevenash.org

Educare Arizona Summer Update (another one!)

Jenny Miller — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 23:48:38 GMT

Educare Arizona - the building is complete!

We're putting the finishing touches on building completion, the teachers are starting to set up their rooms, and even the goldfish are swimming happily in their custom-built aquariums -- now all we need are the kids!

When Educare Arizona's first group of children enter their classrooms on September 6th, they'll take their first steps to changing the trajectory of not only their futures but all of ours: the early interventions offered by Educare Arizona -- from the health and dental care, to the early learning experience, the creative outdoor playspace, and the art development -- will begin to impact health and happiness from the first day. With a parent resource room and attending services, this approach to caring for children and families is designed to address all of the families needs in providing for the most nurturing environment for their children.

Tours are available - please let us know if we can show you around this wonderful center of excellence for early learning. We'll look forward to the grand opening at the end of October!

Thank you for your support in growing health in kids,

Steve and Jenny

Educare Arizona -a look inside a toddler classroom

Educare Arizona - a pre-school classroom welcome!

Links:

support Educare Arizona at stevenash.org

Educare Arizona Summer Update

Jenny Miller — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 04:30:22 GMT

Educare Arizona

I'm writing from New York City, where the 4th annual Showdown in Chinatown takes place on Wednesday, June 22nd -- this year, the Showdown will benefit Educare Arizona, and Steve and I are thrilled to be bringing the NBA and soccer communities together to raise awareness and funds about such an important issue. More about the Showdown is at www.stevenash.org/showdown . . . .

Over the past three years, Educare Arizona has received support from 28 states and four countries. We've received repeating $10 donations, and large capital gifts, heard from 10-year olds and 75-year olds, and found support in folks with who we never anticipated finding anything in common. All because of this: kids matter. No matter where in the world we are, people understand that every child -- every single child -- matters to our future, and the health of our communities. With the science never more clear that learning starts at birth, people understand, too and ever-the-more, that giving children great opportunities to learn and develop right from the beginning of their lives is critical to our collective growth.

Educare Arizona will open doors this August, and we'll celebrate with a grand opening in the autumn (when Phoenix cools down a little). Please consider a donation today, and joining Steve to officially open this beautiful building to the children and families who will gather there to improve conditions for all of us.

Thank you for helping us grow health in kids.

Jenny (and Steve)

Links:

Attachments:

Interior Map (PDF)

Educare Arizona Spring Update!

Jenny Miller — Fri, 18 Mar 2011 16:55:55 GMT

Wetlands and City

Early this Spring, Educare Arizona welcomed Dr. Billie Enz as its Executive Director -- Billie brings a dedicated passion for early childhood education to Educare, and we're fortunate to have her on the roster! Billie has this to say:

Educare schools across the country are dramatically changing the life trajectories of thousands of children growing up in families facing the greatest obstacles to success. This is what attracted me to the position of Executive Director of Educare Arizona. My lifelong passion for this work is shared by the Educare board and staff; these individuals possess boundless energy, expertise, and zeal for the children of Arizona. It will be my pleasure to work with them to realize this vision.

Billie is leading a team of incredible educators and staff -- more than half are bilingual, a majority hold bachelor's degrees or higher, and they have an average of 7 years experience working with young children.

We've also recently completed plans for a beautiful play courtyard at Educare Arizona (see renderings below). With evidence of the importance of pretend play and creative coming from more and more research, we're committed to providing healthy space for children to explore the world and their imaginations. The courtyard area is comprised of quadrants representing the wetlands (with a water play feature), city (with an ampitheatre), farm (with growing planters), and neighborhood (with a house-like structure that can represent anything the child pretends it is), and will be a great place to observe our little MVPs at work being kids.

Educare Arizona is about change, and the promise of a return on investment that grows health all around it. Your support has meant so much to us, and we hope to continue to earn it through the course of this journey.

Learn more at stevenash.org, and please don't hesitate to reach out if you have any questions.

All the best for a happy, healthy Spring,

Jenny (and Steve)

Farm

Neighborhood

Links:

Educare Arizona Winter Update

Jenny Miller — Fri, 17 Dec 2010 22:38:42 GMT

Interior Samples for Educare's Multipurpose Room!

While many of us are digging out our sidewalks and scraping ice off our windshields, construction is moving forward at full pace in Phoenix -- thank goodness for that southwest climate!

Since our last update, we've been hard at work making the multitude of decisions requisite in opening a center and school of this impact -- everything from carpet and paint, to the play structures and learning modules available to Educare's children and families, to our newest news: the selection of Educare Arizona's Executive Director. We're excited to be bringing on board one of the country's passionate, committed voices in early learning, and working with this soon-to-be-publicly-announced individual to bring great things to bear on our communities, both locally and nationally.

Late this fall, I had the opportunity to visit the newly-opened Educare of Seattle at White Center. Together with members of the Bounce Learning Network, I watched children operate on a learning environment created with the best of what the available science tells us to offer. Having now visited Educare centers in Miami, Omaha, and Seattle, I can't wait to have Educare's excellence at play in the Valley of the Sun(s).

The Steve Nash Foundation has also been working to make supporting Educare as convenient and rewarding as possible. Giveback.org/steve offers e-commerce opportunities to support both Educare Arizona and the Steve Nash Foundation, globalgiving.org has this page for Educare Arizona, and there are new Flip video cameras at theflip.com/steve through the “Flip for Good” program that benefit this work as well. One of the best assists you can make, though, is just telling others about why you care about children; growing health in kids means growing our collective voice to advocate for them.

With hopes for a peaceful winter season, and continued good weather for building,

Jenny

Educare Seattle - Art In the Classroom

Outdoor Water Exploration at Educare Seattle

Educare Arizona Groundbreaking! Fall Update

Jenny Miller — Fri, 24 Sep 2010 22:43:26 GMT

Neighborhood Children at the Groundbreaking

On Thursday, September 16th, Educare Arizona broke ground in a packed ceremony (despite the hot weather) -- donors, stakeholders, neighbors, and a troupe of our littlest MVPs were on hand as Steve and members of the Ounce of Prevention and Bounce Learning Network initiative spoke to the importance of investing in quality early learning.

Donating to high-quality early learning programs like Educare Arizona is a sound investment, recognized and supported by business leaders across the country, including Susie Buffett, Bill Gates, J.B. Pritzker, George Kaiser, and Nobel Prize-winning economist James Heckman. When we address the needs of children early, we plan for sustainable, productive growth in our communities.

Check out photos of the day below and join our effort to grow health in kids -- thank you for your assist!

Steve Speaks on the Importance of Educare

Ginger Ward Delivers Welcoming Remarks

Jeff Smith, Superintendent, Balsz School District

Shovels Are In!

The Future Home of Educare Arizona

Links:

Learn more about Educare Arizona at stevenash.org!

Educare Arizona Summer Update!

Jenny Miller — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 20:06:47 GMT

Educare Arizona entered summer with a wonderful showing of support from both the early learning and investment communities -- anchor funders The Steve Nash Foundation, Ibis Foundation, and Whiteman Foundation were honored at the Science of Early Learning Luncheon just as the Suns perfected their second-round sweep of the San Antonio Spurs; and key leaders in the Arizona community announced their support of Educare: the Steele Foundation, Arizona Community Foundation, and APS.

New renderings give us a great idea of what the building will look like (see attachments below), and work has begun to design outdoor play spaces that complement the LEED design and developmental innovations of the interior.

As the summer heat continues, we're continuing to fire up enthusiasm for excellence in learning opportunities for at-risk children and their families. We invite you to join us in making Educare Arizona one of the country's premier learning labs, teaching centers, and policy voices. Make your assist here, or at stevenash.org (where you can get some free swag for your generosity!).

Links:

Attachments:

Educare Arizona Spring Update!

Jenny Miller — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 21:25:08 GMT

Educare Arizona is moving forward with great progress and exciting advancements: with an innovative building design on track to achieve LEED Silver Certification for environmental sustainability, the at-risk children entering Educare Arizona will have not only a Center that uses the latest research in implementing classroom and play space, but a healthy place to learn and grow.

Construction plans are underway, and we look forward to breaking ground this summer, in order to open to children and families in the Autumn of 2011.

Educare Arizona has kicked off its capital campaign, and energized by the support for early learning in Arizona and across the country. By taking part in the discussion, we're hoping to raise the volume on the critical need to invest in children right from birth.

As part of the conversation, the Steve Nash Foundation recently hosted the latest in its Sustainable Kids Series: Healthy Brains, Happy Babies. The session featured Dr. Jill Stamm of the New Directions Institute for Infant Brain Development, and -- despite a steady Scottsdale downpour -- attracted a capacity crowd to the tent outside Moonbeams Sleep Shop. With key hydration provided by glaceau, the Sustainable Kids Series is another way that the Steve Nash Foundation is working to increase access to resources for every child and the people that care for him or her.

New Directions Institute has just announced that it will be honoring the anchor funders of Educare Arizona -- the Steve Nash Foundation, Ibis Foundation, and Whiteman Foundation -- at its annual Science of Early Learning Award Luncheon this coming May. We're happy to be recognized by such a prestigious organization and staunch advocates of early childhood development.

As Educare Arizona progresses, we invite you to learn more at our website -- www.educarearizona.org -- or at stevenash.org.

Attachments:

Educare Arizona Winter 2010 Newsletter (PDF)