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The Head Start Model
The premise of Head Start is simple: every child, regardless of circumstances at birth, has the ability to reach their full potential.
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The First Advocates Pilot Project
The First Advocates Pilot Project will nurture parent voices and empower a select group of Head Start parents as leaders who can carry out a variety of strategic advocacy activities in their communities and around the nation.
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Two Generations Together
The Two Generations Together Initiative is focused on increasing awareness of two-generation adult education and job training models that are part of the comprehensive child and family services delivered by Head Start programs across the country.
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Advocacy 101
Head Start Works! Advocacy 101 Toolkit
NHSA’s Advocacy 101 Toolkit will provide you with the basic tools and skills necessary to advocate on behalf of Head Start in the media, with elected officials and in your own community.
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Meeting with Elected Officials Advocacy Toolkit
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Research
Research
For fifty years, research and evaluation have documented Head Start's impact on school readiness, academic achievement, health, family stability, and long-term success.
As a nonprofit membership and advocacy organization, NHSA sees its role in research as:
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Research by Topic
Research by Topic
Below are links to compilations of research on some of the most important topics for Head Start practitioners. While these aim to gather useful resources and research, they are by no means exhaustive. For additional research sources and strategies for navigating them, visit Accessing and Reading Research.
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Getting a 2Gen Program Off the Ground
March 18th, 2015 - 2:00 PM EDT
Getting a 2Gen Program Off the Ground
The first episode in the National Head Start Association's Two Generations Together Webinar Series, this webinar provded an overview of what we mean when we talk about "two-generation work" and insights into how the Educational Alliance and Parents in Community Action Head Start programs have designed programs to support their families' needs for education, job training, and living wage employment.
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The Institute
Two Generations Together Institute
On January 26th, 2015, NHSA hosted a day-long Two Generations Together Institute. Program leaders from the featured programs shared their stories and strategies in the morning, and in the afternoon a series of panels offered insights into designing your own two-generation work from both local program leaders and national experts. The sessions were recorded to preserve the important lessons and conversations from the Institute! Watch each one below.
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Securing 2Gen Funding Streams
April 8th, 2015 - 2:00 PM EDT
Securing 2Gen Funding Streams
The second episode in the National Head Start Association's Two Generations Together Webinar Series, this webinar will explore public and private strategies Head Start grantees have pursued as they designed programs to support their families' needs for education, job training, and living wage employment. Hear from Southwest Human Development, a local foundation, and staff of the National Head Start Association and National Community Action Partnership with a broad perspective on funding opportunities.
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Partnering with Employers and Colleges
April 15th, 2015 - 2:00 PM EDT
Partnering with Employers and Colleges
The third episode in the National Head Start Association's Two Generations Together Webinar Series, this webinar explored ways that Head Start grantees have pursued partnerships with employers and colleges as they designed programs to support their families' needs for education, job training, and living wage employment. Learn from the Elyse Rosenblum of the Employer Pathways Project and Head Start program leaders from AVANCE Houston and Friends of Children of Mississippi, Inc!
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2Gen Data and Evaluation
April 29th, 2015 - 2:00 PM EDT
2Gen Data and Evaluation
The fourth episode in the National Head Start Association's Two Generations Together Webinar Series, this webinar will explore the data systems and evaluation studies that Head Start programs have undertaken as they work to support their families' success but also demonstrate impacts and inform program improvement. Learn from Head Start program leaders from AVANCE Houston and Southwest Human Development and gain strategies for approaching research partnerships of your own!
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Mental Health, Relationships, and Social Capital
May 6th, 2015 - 2:00 PM EDT
Health, Relationships, and Social Capital
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Asset Building for Families
May 27th, 2015 - 2:00 PM EDT
Asset Building for Families
The sixth episode in the National Head Start Association's Two Generations Together Webinar Series, this webinar focused on strategies for helping families build assets and save toward goals that support family well-being in the short and long-term. Learn from Head Start program leaders from Friends of Children of Mississippi, Inc. and Garrett County Community Action Committee and gain a national perspective on asset building work from the Corporation for Enterprise Development.
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Launching a New Study to Create the Tool You Need for Documenting Family Engagement
NHSA is excited to be launching an important new Head Start Parent, Family and Community Engagement Study! This study, led by NORC at the University of Chicago with guidance from the National Head Start Association and Region V Head Start Association, will inform our national understanding of parent engagement and create a tool to help local programs collect better information from parents about their experiences.
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2016 Parent, Staff, and Leadership Training Conference
December 5 - December 8, 2016
Program Book
Download the Program Book
NHSA’s Parent, Staff, and Leadership Training Conference is the only national event that focuses on how communities, parents, families, and Head Start program staff can best partner to promote both parent and family engagement and children’s learning and development.
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Parent Gauge
Measuring family engagement through parents' own words
NHSA is now offering a web-based instrument that measures parent experience and the impact of early childhood programs’ engagement efforts. This innovative new tool aligns with the Office of Head Start’s Parent, Family, and Community Engagement Framework. Programs can use this tool to identify the needs of their families, the strengths of their PFCE efforts, and areas for improvement. Easy-to-read results provide baseline data and measure growth throughout the year.
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FAQ
What is Parent Gauge™?Parent Gauge™ is a web-based tool that measures parent experience and the impact of your program's engagement efforts.
You can view a recording of a recent webinar that covers the origin story, a live demonstration, and more information about what is included with an annual subscription.
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Parent Gauge™ A Tool In Support of a Movement
Parent Gauge™ Created By Practitioners for Practitioners…