The Sandra Dunagan Deal Center for Early Language and Literacy and the Get Georgia Reading Campaign recently released its 2022 Collective Impact Grant initiative awardees. The Basics, a program of United Way of Central Georgia, was awarded $10,000 to continue its mission of bolstering brain development for children from birth to age 3. The purpose of this initiative is to improve the early language and literacy skills of Georgia’s children, by sustaining community coalitions to increase early language and literacy access, professional learning, awareness, and education.
"The Basics Central Georgia is under way, and we look forward to participating in this continuing work through the 2022 Collective Impact Grant initiative: Sustaining The Basics in Communities in Georgia! We know that 80% of brain growth happens in the first three years of life. It is during this period that skills gaps between socio-economic, racial, and ethnic groups become evident. In order to give children from every background an equal start in life, The Basics offers a framework for everyday interactions between children, their parents, and other caregivers. We appreciate the support of the Deal Center for Early Language and Literacy as we continue to focus on child well-being and disrupting the cycle of family poverty," said UWCG First Steps Community Coordinator Lauralen Avery.
Representatives from the United Way of Central Georgia will attend the 2022 Governor’s Summit on Early Language and Literacy as a part of a cross-sector team that includes representatives from the Georgia Department of Public Health, the Middle Georgia Regional Library, and several Central Georgia Head Start organizations to collaborate on ways to push the work throughout our UWCG footprint.
The Basics, Inc. grew out of the Achievement Gap Initiative at Harvard University in partnership with the Black Philanthropy Fund in Boston. The Basics' mission is to bolster brain development for social, emotional, and cognitive skill building among children from birth to age 3 as a sturdy foundation for school readiness across whole communities.
The Basics Principles are:
- Maximize Love, Manage Stress
- Talk, Sing, and Point
- Count, Group, and Compare
- Explore Through Movement and Play
- Read and Discuss Stories
To learn more about The Basics Central GA click here