SMART BEGINNINGS SOUTH HAMPTON ROADS
112 GRANBY STREET NO 500, NORFOLK, VA 23510 www.smartbeginningsshr.org

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Organizations Filed Purposes: SBSHR IS A COMMUNITY ORGANIZATION CREATED BY BUSINESS AND CIVIC LEADERS TO ADDRESS THE ISSUE OF SCHOOL READINESS IN OUR REGION. WE SERVE CHESAPEAKE, NORFOLK, PORTSMOUTH, SUFFOLK, AND VIRGINIA BEACH. OUR VISION IS THAT ALL CHILDREN IN SOUTHAMPTON ROADS ARRIVE AT KINDERGARTEN HEALTHY AND READY TO SUCCEED IN SCHOOL AND IN LIFE.

SBSHR'S VISION IS TO RAISE AWARENESS ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF THE EARLY YEARS, ADVOCATE FOR GREATER PUBLIC AND PRIVATE INVESTMENT IN YOUNG CHILDREN, ENCOURAGE REGIONAL COLLABORATION AROUND CHILDREN'S ISSUES AND SUPPORT COMMUNITIES IN IMPROVING THEIR EARLY CHILDHOOD SYSTEMS.

PUBLIC AWARENESS AND ADVOCACY:WE ARE: A PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP CREATED IN 2005 BY BUSINESS, CIVIC, AND PHILANTHROPIC LEADERS TO ADDRESS THE ISSUE OF SCHOOL READINESS IN THE REGION OF SOUTH HAMPTON ROADS. THE HAMPTON ROADS COMMUNITY FOUNDATION (HRCF) AND THE BATTEN EDUCATIONAL ACHIEVEMENT FUND (BEAF) OF THE HRCF HAVE GRANTED OVER $8 MILLION TO HELP US ACHIEVE OUR MISSION. WE ARE GRATEFUL FOR THE VISION AND COMMITMENT OF FRANK AND JANE BATTEN AND THE HRCF, AS WELL AS THE MANY OTHER CORPORATIONS, INDIVIDUALS, AND FOUNDATIONS THAT HAVE GIVEN GENEROUSLY TO OUR CAUSE. IN ADDITION, SBSHR HAS RECEIVED JUST UNDER $1 MILLION IN PUBLIC FUNDS OVER THE LAST SIX YEARS. WE SERVE: CHESAPEAKE, NORFOLK, PORTSMOUTH, SUFFOLK, AND VIRGINIA BEACH. OUR VISION: ALL CHILDREN IN SOUTH HAMPTON ROADS ARRIVE AT KINDERGARTEN READY TO SUCCEED IN SCHOOL AND LIFE. OUR ROLE: SMART BEGINNINGS SOUTH HAMPTON ROADS (SBSHR) WAS CREATED TO: - RAISE AWARENESS; - ADVOCATE FOR GREATER PUBLIC-PRIVATE INVESTMENT; - IMPROVE OUR EARLY EDUCATION SYSTEMS; AND - WORK WITH MUNICIPALITY-LED COALITIONS.WE HAVE RAISED AWARENESS ON THE IMPORTANCE OF THE EARLY YEARS, EDUCATED PARENTS ON HOW THEY CAN HELP THEIR CHILDREN TO BE READY, AND COLLABORATED WITH OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS TO MAKE YOUNG CHILDREN AND THEIR EDUCATION A PRIORITY. OVERALL:SBSHR HAS BEEN RECOGNIZED AS A MODEL EARLY EDUCATION INITIATIVE IN VIRGINIA. SINCE 2005, OTHER STATES HAVE LOOKED TO US FOR GUIDANCE ON BEST PRACTICE MODELS THAT HELP A CHILD BE READY FOR ACADEMIC AND SOCIAL SUCCESS. MANY OF OUR INNOVATIVE PROGRAMS ARE BEING REPLICATED BY OTHER LOCALITIES STATEWIDE. THERE IS NO OTHER ORGANIZATION IN OUR REGION THAT IS SOLELY DEDICATED TO RAISING AWARENESS, ADVOCATING FOR GREATER PUBLIC-PRIVATE INVESTMENT AND WORKING WITH THE REGION AND STATE TO IMPROVE EARLY EDUCATION FOR YOUNG CHILDREN AND FAMILIES.IN 2005, SBSHR SET OUT TO CHANGE THE WAY OUR REGION AND STATE THINKS AND PRIORITIZES YOUNG CHILDREN. SEVERAL PUBLIC AWARENESS CAMPAIGNS WERE LAUNCHED TO EDUCATE THE PUBLIC ON THE FUNDAMENTAL IMPORTANCE OF THE EARLY YEARS AND BUILD PUBLIC SUPPORT FOR SCHOOL READINESS IN THE REGION AND STATE. IMPACT - LAUNCHED A SERIES OF MINI-CAMPAIGNS TO POSITION THE QUALITY RATING IMPROVEMENT SYSTEM (QRIS) AS A CONSUMER EDUCATION TOOL, SHOW HOW CHILDREN ARE BETTER OFF BECAUSE OF OUR WORK, AND ARM PARENTS WITH TOOLS TO HELP THEIR CHILDREN BE READY FOR KINDERGARTEN. - DROVE 76,200 PARENTS, GRANDPARENTS AND OTHERS TO OUR WEBSITE FOR PARENT-BUILDING INFORMATION TO VIEW QRIS RATINGS AND TO DOWNLOAD INFORMATION TO HELP CHILDREN BE READY FOR SCHOOL. - PUBLISHED OVER 125 ARTICLES AND OPINION PIECES PROMOTING THE ISSUE OF EARLY EDUCATION. THE AWARENESS AND ADVOCACY WORK WILL BE CONTINUED THROUGH E3: ELEVATE EARLY EDUCATION, A STATEWIDE SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURIAL VENTURE, CREATED IN 2012 BY BUSINESS, CIVIC, AND PHILANTHROPIC LEADERS TO AGGRESSIVELY PURSUE AND CHALLENGE POLICY MAKERS TO MAKE EARLY EDUCATION IN OUR STATE A PRIORITY.

QUALITY IMPROVEMENT INITIATIVES - 104 CENTERS PARTICIPATING IN THE VIRGINIA QUALITY RATING IMPROVEMENT SYSTEM.- 20 FAMILY CHILD CARE HOMES PILOTED. - OVER 9,200 CHILDREN IMPACTED.- 378 SCHOLARSHIPS AWARDED TO EARLY EDUCATION TEACHERS.TIDEWATER COMMUNITY COLLEGE WILL CONTINUE QRIS AND THE TEACHER SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM. THE PLANNING COUNCIL WILL MANAGE QRIS FOR FAMILY CHILD CARE HOMES.EARLY LEARNING CHALLENGE GRANTS - THE BATTEN EDUCATIONAL ACHIEVEMENT FUND OF THE HAMPTON ROADS COMMUNITY FOUNDATION GRANTED $2.5MIL.- FOUR COMMUNITIES DEVELOPED FIVE-YEAR ACTION PLANS FOR CHILDREN BIRTH TO AGE 5 AND ARE TRACKING PERFORMANCE-BASED OUTCOMES. CHESAPEAKE, NORFOLK, SUFFOLK AND VIRGINIA BEACH AND ARE POISED AND READY TO CHAMPION EARLY EDUCATION IN THEIR CITIES AND HAVE DEDICATED PUBLIC FUNDING.EARLY EDUCATION SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM- 52 CHILD CARE CENTERS PARTICIPATED IN THE HAMPTON ROADS CHAMBER SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CENTER'S "MINI-MBA" PROGRAM.- GRADUATES ON AVERAGE HAVE SEEN A 23% INCREASE IN REVENUES AND 29% INCREASE IN ENROLLMENT. THE CHAMBER WILL CONTINUE TO PROVIDE THIS INDUSTRY-SPECIFIC PROGRAM. NEWBORN & FAMILY SCREENING & REFERRAL PILOT- 100% OF MOMS DELIVERING AT THE HOSPITAL SCREENED TO IDENTIFY FAMILIES' NEEDS.- 1,521 FAMILIES SCREENED AND 1,308 COMMUNITY REFERRALS MADE EITHER PRENATALLY OR WITHIN THE FIRST THREE MONTHS OF A BABY'S BIRTH.THE PILOT WILL CONCLUDE; SENTARA IS WORKING TO CARRY ON THE WORK.

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