September 2018 - PAT Meeting #3
September 7, 2018, 1-3pm
Attendance
UB backbone staff present: 5 UB backbone staff (David Harrington, Nysheva-Starr, Kassa Belay, Dionne Grayman, Jason Ludwig)
Attendees: 26 including 1 FAB member and representatives of 18 programs and 12 organizations
Presentation/Agenda
Notes
Objectives:
Better Understand the Early Childhood landscape in Brownsville by identifying:
PAT program sites
The child assessments and screenings administered in Brownsville
Follow up on/identify next steps for the DTB proposal by creating six month timelines.
Introductions/Gathering:
Icebreaker:
Introduce yourself (name, position) and tell the group about one specific personal or professional goal you want to accomplish in the next six months.
Welcome
Introduction of Dionne Grayman and Jason Ludwig
Shared three open job positions at CCCNY
Mentioned that UB is a connective infrastructure, so PAT members may share job opportunities at their organizations as well
Renamed “Providers as cross-sector literacy coaches” To “Books for Brownsville” (Still subject to change)
Shared results of first two PAT evaluation in summary and graph forms
PAT Eval Summary
PAT gave highest marks for
clarity of UB’s objectives
a sense that the meeting felt worthwhile
the quality of discussion at the PAT meeting
while PAT told us we had the most room to improve in
identifying and assigning next steps
the creation of a shared understanding of the early childhood landscape in Brownsville
Scores across all questions improved an average of 12% in August compared to June scores
Breakout Groups
The PAT split into three breakout groups based on their interests in the sections of the DTB proposal:
Language Kits: Stay in the HUB space
Family Co-Op: 4th Floor Conference Room
Books for Brownsville: 4th Floor desks
Group assignment:
Review progress on next steps from the PAT and FAB
Review any materials submitted by partners, e.g. Scholastic
Sketch out a 6 month timeline for your subcommittee
Learning Landscape/Language Kits Breakout Group
Discussion Notes
Began by completing Early Childhood landscape survey
Group reviewed letter of intent for supermarkets in Brownsville
Members will email their comments individually to UB
Discussed FAB’s progress in pitching Learning landscape to local supermarkets
Group members wanted to know which FAB members were involved, so that they could coordinate their efforts
NS asked: What is our ultimate goal for 6 months from now?
Members thought that we needed to start with identifying potential sites for Language kit signage
Members proposed “test runs” of language kits at their home institutions
GJ Center, Brookdale Hospital, SCO FirstStep, and Morris Koppelman Center
Members proposed pitching idea to every supermarket in Brownsville
Is there an available map of every supermarket in Brownsville?
Discussion about the desired design of signs
consensus that a unified design across every site would make a stronger impression
Discussion about a possible “I-spy” design of signs (i.e. “Can you find five red things in the supermarket?”)
Maggie thought that design should emphasize Parent-child interactions, with open ended questions about colors, shapes, and similar topics
Maggie offered to approach City’s First readers for possibility of collaboration.
Group agreed on ultimate 6 month goal: To have installed signage in GJ Center, Brookdale Hospital, SCO FirstStep, and Morris Koppelman Center, as well as in as many supermarkets as possible in Brownsville
First Step: one member would enquire with her local supermarket about logistics of installing signs
Second step: Hold meeting with members of FAB to come to conclusions about theme, design and objective of language kits
Possible date for meeting: 9/21/18 (pending on FAB availability)
Third Step: approaching City’s First Readers
Family Co-Op Breakout Group
Participants: Keston Jones, Matthew Morales, Robin Smith; Daria Best; Floaria Ladja; Erasma Monticciolo/Sophia Salmon; Hana Elwell, Rose Anello; Jason Jarvis
Discussion Notes:
Stakeholders agreed that the process of deciding where Family Co-Op site(s) are located should include a review of local maps but also a focus on which sites would be [prepared to host that have space and staffing considerations already in place
Stakeholders emphasized the importance of adjusting the Family Co-Op curriculum to fit the cultural practices that families are most comfortable with in Brownsville and agreed that this “curriculum adjustment process” would itself be a capacity building exercise for those involved (both PAT and FAB)
In this vein the concept for a Family Co-Op Curriculum Review Committee emerged
Given Scholastic's experience in developing and implementing the Family Co-Op model and their stated interest in bringing the model to Brownsville, PAT members urged the backbone team to clarify what concrete commitments and in-kind contributions Scholastic is prepared to make. These commitments and contributions will shape the planning and fundraising process immensely and so is a critical next step
Share Out
We met back in the HUB space as a group and shared out the summaries of our breakout meetings above.
Family Co-Op Group shared their milestones towards implementation:
First step: Obtaining maps from CCCNY for places of interest
Second step: Obtaining Grundy County Curriculums
Third Step: FAB and PAT adapting curriculum to meet cultural environment of Brownsville
Fourth Step: Identifying potential sites for family co-ops
Fifth Step: By March-prepare proposals for funding Foundation
Books for Brownsville Group shared their next steps
First Step: In the next three months, researching, reaching out to, and recruiting participants for a roundtable on language and literacy
Second Step, In the month following step one, bring together local families to find out their language and literacy practices, as well as ways in which local providers can assist them
Third Step: in the month following step two, work with families and providers to develop next steps
The Learning Landscape/Language Kits group shared their next steps:
First Step: Shifra would enquire with her local supermarket about logistics of installing signs
Second Step: Hold meeting with members of FAB to come to conclusions about theme, design and objective of language kits
Third Step: approaching City’s First Readers (Maggie will take lead)
Ultimate 6-month Goal: install signage in GJ Center, Brookdale Hospital, SCO FirstStep, and Morris Koppelman Center, as well as in as many supermarkets as possible in Brownsville