Training and Technical Assistance

The School Health Infrastructure Project (SHIP) is working with superintendents of large urban school districts and local health department commissioners to plan for and implement modern school health programs. Such programs integrate the resources of education, health, and social service agencies to improve outcomes around four types of goals to improve knowledge, health behaviors and outcomes, education outcomes, and social outcomes. They are systemwide initiatives that are based on collaboration of youth, families, and communities with school and health organizations.

CC&F/EDC provided intensive on-site technical assistance to more than 100 Head Start and Early Head Start programs. As part of a national initiative, CC&F/EDC helped these programs establish early literacy mentor-coaching systems and devise and implement continuous improvement efforts. CC&F/EDC guided the programs in developing effective approaches to management, organizational and community development, early education, health, and family support and involvement.

CC&F/EDC used proven strategies to enhance Head Start’s efforts to include children with disabilities from birth to eight and their families. CC&F/EDC offered intensive consultation services, performed on-site interventions, provided college credit courses and skill-based training, and disseminated cutting-edge resources to Head Start programs across New England. Working with national, regional, state and community agencies and associations, CC&F/EDC built strategic alliances to support and maintain inclusive communities, while promoting the mental health of children, families, and staff.

In collaboration with EDC’s Center for Educational Resources and Outreach, EEC promotes and supports the Ford PAS program. Ford PAS includes an interdisciplinary high school curriculum that challenges students academically and develops their problem-solving, teamwork, and communication skills. We provide ongoing technical assistance for all schools and partners implementing Ford PAS by hosting an interactive Web site and toll-free hotline, designing and conducting an annual national networking and training conference, and offering professional development activities.

In collaboration with EDC’s Center for Educational Resources and Outreach, EEC has developed the Ford PAS program. Ford PAS includes an interdisciplinary high school curriculum that challenges students academically and develops their problem-solving, teamwork, and communication skills. The program links classroom learning to future opportunities in business, engineering, and technology, and motivates young people to succeed in college and careers. These links are forged through innovative partnerships with business, higher education, and the community.

EDC is providing technical assistance to the National Center for Literacy through the development and implementation of a comprehensive dissemination plan for its early childhood literacy products and program materials. By bringing to bear our knowledge of diverse and complex early childhood education systems and their staff development and parent education efforts, we will reach thousands of stakeholders across the nation and provide them with essential information that they can use to advance early childhood education literacy policies and practices.

CSE is helping develop a Northeast Biomanufacturing Collaborative, a regional center with hubs in 12 states from Maine to Virginia. The project helps partnerships of community colleges, biotechnology companies, high schools, and four-year colleges develop programs and curricula to train people for biomanufacturing occupations and careers in the biotechnology industry.

In Phase 1 of this project, CC&F/EDC led the development of “Connections and Commitments: A Latino-based Framework for Early Childhood Educators.” “Connections and Commitments” identifies four key values in Latino culture and describes their implications for early childhood practice. In addition, CC&F/EDC designed an online bilingual resource to provide increased access to standards-based, culturally and linguistically responsive professional development materials and strategies for working with Latino children, families, and staff.

This design study uses information technologies to enhance pre- and in-service professional development programs within National Science Foundation’s Math and Science Partnerships (MSPs). The project informs the MSPs about online tools and techniques, consults with a set of MSP projects, develops selected MSPs’ capacity to incorporate effective online professional development, collaborates with MSP evaluators that use online technologies, and assesses the prospects for conducting further work in this area.

EDC delivers intensive professional development for afterschool providers in the integration of academic content in afterschool programming. Created in partnership with the Afterschool All-Stars, Citizen Schools, CNYD, and Foundations Inc., the trainings emphasize experiential learning approaches, positive youth development principles, and on-going staff leadership and development.