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Early Childhood Education » Supporting Engagement

Supporting Engagement

Supporting Early Childhood Engagement

 

The JEC is committed to helping families with young Jewish children find multiple ways to become actively engaged in the Jewish community. A community-wide "Opening the Gateway" study process in 2010 helped establish the following goal statements: 

  • The Cleveland Jewish community should develop mechanisms for identifying and cultivating families with young Jewish children.
  • ECE sites and their host institutions should be helped to develop a rich understanding of themselves as gateway institutions to Jewish community involvement for families with young Jewish children, whether these parents are already engaged in Jewish life or are in a “not yet” stage.
  • Those who work to support families with young Jewish children should value and support a wider variety of paths to Jewish connection and engagement.
 
As a response to "Opening the Gateway," the JEC's Early Childhood Steering Committee created Shoresh Grants. These grants support opportunities for one-time or multiple-sessioned programs targeted to families with children ages 0-5 (the preK year).   
 
For more information, click Shoresh Grants. 
 
In 2019-2020, the JEC initiated a cohort-based pilot program called Families Together, operating in five local congregations with peer-led groups of families. Its pilot year intersected with the Covid-19 pandemic, but the hope is to revive the initiative in late summer 2021. Stay tuned!