SSL Early Learning Network: Collective Impact at Its Finest

by Ashley Hillman

Community Collaborations Director

Among all of the excitement and momentum in South Salt Lake around Collective Impact is one group of committed early learning providers, collaborating to ensure that every single child in SSL, 0-5 years old, is demonstrating age-appropriate development and ready to enter kindergarten.

The South Salt Lake Early Learning Network is comprised of multiple partners including, Granite School District Preschool Program, Salt Lake CAP Head Start, Children’s Service Society, Voices for Utah Children, the City of South Salt Lake, the Department of Health Nurse-Family Partnership, Department of Workforce Services and United Way of Salt Lake. This group of committed early learning stakeholders meets regularly and uses data to help inform strategies, interventions, and outreach mechanisms to achieve the goals stated above. Data tells us that there are 1,956 children aged 0-5 in South Salt Lake, several of whom are currently enrolled in early learning programming, but a vast majority of whom are not involved in any sort of programming (or are on a waitlist).

Collective Impact at its finest is seeing this group of providers talking about who is being served, how to reach more children and their families, and how to most effectively utilize interventions to help lay a firm educational foundation for every child in SSL! One major success is the fact that this group exists and is excited about changing the odds for infants and toddlers in SSL; an even greater success will be seeing these 1,956 children entering kindergarten ready to learn!