Defending the Early Years is delighted to announce the launching of our brand new website with a fresh new look!

Check it out at www.dey.org and let us know what you think.

"Rethinking School Readiness: Knowledge Goals vs. Intellectual Goals and Short-Term vs. Long-Term Outcomes" written by Marcy Guddemi, Phd, MBA and DEY's Treasurer.

In the report, she proposes that, after the COVID-19 pause in education, it is a perfect opportunity to create a new meaningful curriculum, a new paradigm for preschoolers and kindergartners, based on what we know about child development. Find the report here.

Over 1,000 people registered for DEY's Virtual Institute, from across the country and around the world, and many more joined our live stream on Facebook. The Institute presented two hour sessions, over four days, featuring nationally known experts, including Diane Ravitch, Takiema Bunche-Smith, Erika Christakis, and Peter Gray plus our own Nancy Carlsson-Paige, Diane Levin, and Denisha Jones on many of the important topics in early childhood education.

You can still take advantage of the expertise, knowledge, and wisdom shared by so many early childhood giants. Find recordings of all four sessions here:

Session 1: Lessons Learned from the Response to COVID-19: Protecting Early Childhood Education

Session 2: Childhood Trauma in the Time of Coronavirus: Teachers, Families, and Communities as Protective Factors  

Session 3: Reimagining Advocacy Post COVID-19: The Fight to Protect Chilhdood Continues

Session 4: Play as the Antidote for COVID-19 Trauma and Toxic Stress 

More information on how to sign-up for a working group and details for each one will be announced in our September newsletter. Stay tuned!

Since 2014, DEY has offered mini-grants between $200 and $500 to support local advocacy efforts. Through the years, our mini grants have: helped build an outdoor classroom in Arizona, funded a community meeting promoting play as impacting future academic success in Minnesota, supported teacher professional development in Kenya, and provided hands-on math materials in Guatemala plus many others.

Until now, our mini grants have been approved on a rolling basis. However, since we are now receiving many more applications, we have changed our policy to ensure that all applicants have a chance to be considered. Beginning this month, applications will be reviewed four times a year. Our new deadlines are: