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ACS President Lori McClung recently coached close to 100 executive directors, communication directors, and board chairs from NC Smart Start partnerships in the art of crafting a compelling story about their organizations. As part of the Smart Start conference in North Carolina, Lori taught her workshop attendees how to effectively frame messages about early childhood […]

This summer was an eventful one for one of ACS’s first clients, Towards Employment. Based in Cleveland, Towards Employment is building career pathways for economically disadvantaged and formerly incarcerated citizens. They help people prepare for a job, get a job, keep a job and advance in a career. Since 1976, they have helped over 120,000 […]

Having returned from The BUILD Initiative’s conference on Quality Raging and Improvement Systems (QRIS), ACS Senior Director Rebecca Cohen has six high-level takeaways to share: 1. Data and research about the state of early childhood education is getting better, but it’s still not complete. Look for new and deeper information from studies coming out this […]

Collaboration seems to be the model for our times, and it should be. No single person or group can solve the sticky problems that are seemingly entrenched in our education, justice and economic systems. Indeed, solving societal problems requires the engagement of that society — and that requires collaboration. But collaboration that doesn’t engage a […]

When First Things First of Arizona (FTF) needed powerful plans for community outreach and communications to educate families statewide about the importance of early childhood education, they called on ACS. Now, ACS is assisting FTF with building the capacity of its regional community outreach staff and regional council directors to successfully facilitate community stakeholder conversations […]

Kudos to Cincinnati Public Schools for a great article in Ed Source that touts the district’s Community Learning Centers as a model for the nation. The district brings community partners into every one of its 55 schools in a “whole child” approach to improving academics. Cincinnati’s program employs the concepts of “community schools,” in which […]

ACS has once again been selected by First Things First (FTF) in Arizona to help guide the implementation of thier statewide efforts to ensure all Arizona children ages 0-3 years have access to screening, supports and treatments services in a coordinated early childhood health and development system. Supported by a federal grant for Arizona’s Early […]

ACS gives kudos to Akron Public Schools Superintendent David James for his comments on a recent panel discussion broadcast by 90.3 WCPN and WVIZ Public Television in a special edition of the Ideas program. James, a member of ACS client The Ohio 8, spoke about the challenges that surround students who live in poverty, and […]

Research from Brookings found that employment prospects for teens and young adults in the nation’s 100 largest metropolitan areas plummeted between 2000 and 2011. Work experience is a key indicator for finding and keeping future employment, and critical in forming foundational and occupational skills. The report includes recommendations and examples of promising programs across the country. For […]

At a time when breaking through all the noise is one of the biggest challenges facing communications and outreach professionals, creating a concise, impactful message has become a critical skill. VP Scarlett Bouder and Policy Associate Heather Lenz are gearing up to help early childhood professionals craft unique, distinct and compelling messages and share them […]