Hello friends! As summer comes to an end and autumn approaches, we are all looking forward to a new school year for our children but also–most likely–wondering if this can be a “return to normal,” at least to what we considered “normal” before the COVID-19 pandemic began.

Myself, I hope that “normal” means sustaining the networks of support that developed among families, friends, and neighbors during the pandemic. I also hope that “normal” means that we continue to reflect on & seek change to educational practices that created barriers for many children long before the pandemic began.

What do you hope that “normal” means for this new school year? What do you hope for yourself, your family, and your community?

If you’d like to share your thoughts with other interested residents and community partners, please consider joining our Frogtown-Summit-University Early Learning Coalition gathering on Wednesday, September 21, from 10:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. We will be meeting in-person at the Frogtown Community Center (230 Como Avenue), but you can also join us online via Zoom.

If you have any questions, please send me an email at the address above!

Never been to an FSU ELC gathering? Join us in July when we gather at Golden Thyme Cafe (934 Selby Ave)!

It's a great time to get to know us, and see what FSU ELC is all about! Hope to see you there!

Hello Frogtown-Summit-U friends, we at the FSU Early Learning Coalition just want to wish you all peace, safety, and strength as we grieve and navigate the aftermath of the ongoing tragedies, most recently in Uvalde, TX. And, in addition to keeping those families in your thoughts and prayers–and taking care of yourselves and your loved ones–we want to remember that, together, we can make positive change and that we will stop this cycle of violence. We know we can’t wait for the “leaders” and that real change starts on the ground in communities.

Although we are still in the process of finalizing specific dates and times, our Early Learning Coalition will be out in the community this summer with activities and resources for children and families. Please stay tuned–and email Zack at zachary.pierson@spps.org if you’d like to be added to our contact list and get the info first!

Hello Frogtown, Rondo, & Summit-U neighbors! As spring (maybe?) is finally about to begin, so is our Early Learning Coalition about to emerge from our long pandemic winter of virtual gatherings. On Wednesday, May 18, from 10:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., we will have our first in-person monthly gathering since February 2020. And–like that last gathering–we will be at the Rondo Community Library!

If you’re not yet ready or able to join us in-person, don’t worry! We will again have a Zoom link and the necessary audio/visual equipment set up so that you can be a part of the gathering.

We will have updates from our community partners, some continuing conversation on talking with children about difficult topics, and discussion about finalizing our plans for being out in the community this summer. All are welcome to join us, so we’ll hope to see you at the Rondo Library on May 18!

Greetings from the Frogtown-Summit-U Early Learning Coalition! We hope that everyone in our communities is staying warm and safe, as we ride out this latest wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. At this time, we are continuing to meet virtually to share resources and have conversations about supporting children’s understanding of and feelings about what is happening in the world around them. But we are also beginning to plan for some outdoor family activities that we hope to offer during the late spring and summer. Stayed tuned for details, and, if you can, join us on Zoom on Wednesday, February 16th, at 10:30 a.m. to get involved!

In 2021, our Coalition has gathered virtually each month to welcome new and returning partners and to learn about the resources they provide for families in our community. We have also had regular conversations on difficult topics--from the murder of George Floyd to the ongoing pandemic--and generated many insights and strategies for helping young children make sense of and share their feelings about what they see happening in the world around them.

Now, as we look toward 2022, we are continuing those conversations but also developing actions for sharing our collective knowledge more widely with families in the community. So please join us on December 15 if you can (on Zoom), and return to this site for updates!

Join our partners at Frogtown Neighborhood Association for dinner, community building and a turkey and diaper giveaway on Tuesday, November 23 from 6-8 pm at St Paul City School!