A Quote We Like
" We need to prove to our children that we truly value their play ... so that each new generation can grow into the creative adults who will solve problems we can’t yet imagine. " -- Erika Christakis, Author and DEY National Advisory Board Member
COUNTING DOWN AND GEARING UP
2019 By the Numbers!
3 ...The number of mini-documentaries DEY produced this year, as well as their translations into Spanish and French.

25 ...The number of conferences featuring DEY leadership as keynotes or panelists.

4 ...The number of grassroots organizations DEY funded with mini-grants.

10,000 (~)...The number of social media followers DEY currently has. This represents exponential growth during 2019.

900 ...The number of monthly newsletter readers we have added this year. We love having you and appreciate your faithfulness to the cause! 

30 -plus...The number of media stories DEY has been covered or included in this year. Most recently, in The Washington Post, DEY’s National Advisory Board member, Erika Christakis , discusses the creativity crisis and what is happening in our young children as play is more and more limited.

1 ...The number of mini-documentaries we produced on Play. Newly released, this one features Nancy Carlsson-Paige and Diane Levin, and highlights the profound importance of play to human development. Nancy Carlsson-Paige says it so clearly, “ Children all over the world know how to play … anything that universal; like walking, talking; must be really essential for human development. ” It’s a must see and a must share, and is the first in a new series that DEY will be releasing in 2020.
Thank you for a great year!
Now onto 2020 . . .
Defending the Early Years will be lending its voice to change at the highest level with presidential candidates. We have been gearing up for this with Denisha Jones’ talk at the MIT’s Moral Budget for Massachusetts forum and her participation in the 2020 Presidential Forum on Public Education on Dec. 14, as well as an article she co-authored with Nancy Carlsson-Paige in Rethinking Schools ’ recent issue.
In July, we will host our second annual Summer Institute , focused on Building an ECE Advocacy Platform. The foundation for this began at our annual organizing meeting at NAEYC. Denisha Jones will once again be leading the charge on the institute and she’s sure to not disappoint. We hope you’ll join us.
We will increase the grants awarded through our mini-grants program . Though small, the grants have had large impacts with grassroots organizations advocating for the return of developmentally appropriate play and education for children, globally.  
AND ALSO THIS
#DEYAdvocates
We launched our end-of-year fundraising efforts on #GivingTuesday, but it didn’t end on that day. There is still time, during this season of giving, to join DEY’s community of advocates and our advocacy efforts toward reversing current and harmful educational policies and practices in early childhood. 2020 is an important year for DEY and the ECE community and your donation will help advance our efforts and make an important difference for all children. We are grateful for any contribution you can make.
Where You'll Find Us . . .
DEY will be at  Network for Public Education (NPE ) March 28, as part of a panel discussion on re-framing language and the lens used to see the child before you. DEY will also be co-hosting a session on online ‘preschool’ with our friends at CCFC. We look forward to seeing you at both.
DEY’s Summer Institute (#DEYInstitute2020) will be held July 19-21 at the Eaton Hotel in Washington D.C. To learn more, visit DEY's Institute page.
Recommended Resources . . .
Did you see this article from the Learning Policy Institute, Untangling the Evidence on Preschool Effectiveness ? You can find it and other helpful articles on our resources pages.

What Parents Need to Know about the Common Core . An important resource to help parents and teachers work toward providing the best education possible for every young child.

DEY's Blog featuring articles on early childhood learning, early childhood teacher experiences and policies. You can sign-up to get our blog directly to your inbox or just view it here
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