Tools & Resources

OCDEL CommunITY EDUCATION RESOURCES

Early Learning Community Education Calendar and monthly tools- provides suggested themes, information and activities to conduct outreach and community education throughout the year. Check back for monthly templates and tools.

Connect with your Community Engagement Group. Your CEG knows a lot about ECE in your community and has built relationships with school leaders, legislators and the media. They can help you set up events, or you can participate in activities they have planned. Click here for contact information for your county's CEG coordinator.

E-Newsletters

click here to sign up for any or all of the following e-newsletters:

• BUILD ECE E-News - every other week update on early education news from OCDEL
• OCDEL Community Education Listserv - monthly tips and tools on community education and outreach
• PA Promise Action Alerts - updates on public policy and legislative activity and how you can take action
• Learning is Everywhere - monthly activities for parents with young children

Toolkits & Tip Sheets

• Tookit for working with the media (Word)
• Quick tips for engaging the media (Word)
• Building relationships with your legislator
• Tips on writing your Elevator Speech
• Using data effectively fact sheet - tips on how to use data effectively and list of good sources for data (Word)
• Short talking points on OCDEL programs  2010-2011
• Digging Deeper - FAQs on OCDEL programs 2010-2011
• Tools for using the Reach and Risk Report
• PA Pre-K Counts End of Year Report 08-09 tools (10/20/09)
  • Sample press release (Word)
  • Sample letter to Governor Rendell and legislators Word | action alert
  • Sample letter to school leadership (Word)

Reports

• OCDEL Reach and Risk Report  | Tools for using the Reach and Risk Report
• OCDEL Annual Report
• Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts 2008-2009 End of Year Report (PDF)

Fact Sheets

• June 2010: PA Pre-K Counts promotes children's school readiness and future achievement (PDF) (6/15/10)
• June 2010: Head Start Supplemental Assistance Program: Comprehensive services for our most at-risk children (PDF) (6/15/10)
• June 2010: Keystone STARS: Building a better, brighter future for Pennsylvania (PDF) (6/15/10)
• News Article Summaries 2009-2010 (Excel) 
• The Multiplier Effect of Public Investments in Early Childhood Education(PDF) (4/22/10)
• Governor's proposed budget for OCDEL for 2010-2011 - download one-page fact sheet and powerpoint you can use to explain PA's progress in early education, priorities for 2010-2011, and the details of the Governor's proposed budget for early childhood programs.
• Notes from the 2010 House and Senate Appropriations Committee hearings - comments/questions re: OCDEL programs
• Falling through the cracks: children living in families earning between 235% and 300% FPL at risk of school failure yet cannot afford quality early education (1/28/10)
• The Costs of Disinvestment: Why States Can’t Afford to Cut Smart Early Childhood Programs- Pew Trusts, January 2010 (PDF)
• Research on the benefits of Early Education - fact sheet with short blurbs highlighting leading research that makes the case for ECE (Word)
• Impact of budget impasse on early education (PDF) (8-11-09)
• Child Care Works Helps Low-Income Parents Stay in the Workforce (Word)