This spring’s online session of the Oakland Early Learning Symposium introduced the OSSS Resilient Oakland Communities and Kids (ROCK) Toolkit to over 90 early learning professionals. These Oakland-grown ROCK tools were developed in partnership with a range of early childhood educators and administrators, additional content experts and OSSS staff. At the Symposium, members of this collaborative team discussed how these hands-on tools can help create healing-centered and trauma-responsive early learning environments. 

Year 2 – it’s a wrap!

Early learning educators from East Oakland came together May 7 to celebrate completing a six-month Community of Practice centered on the 10 Promising Practices (10PP) in Early Learning for Black Boys. Promising Practices are a set of anti-racist strategies that address systemic bias, reinforce trusting relationships with children and their families, and have a positive impact on educational outcomes for young boys of color. 

​Since 2017, OSSS has been working with early childhood educators through the ROCK initiative to increase resilience and healing and to promote the healthy social emotional development of children in trauma-sensitive and trauma-responsive environments.

​​Crucially, educators are more able to offer a healing early learning environment when they are attuned to their own well-being. That’s why, over the years, we’ve crafted and honed an early childhood educator learning framework that includes in-person and virtual group workshops, Professional Learning Communities, coaching, yoga, and self-care resources.

​Kindergarten can be a big adjustment for children and families, requiring them to adjust rapidly to new routines and expectations. Research and experience shows that making that transition as smooth as possible builds the foundation for children’s academic and social-emotional skills as well as positive family-school connections. The OUSD Early Learning Department has been intentionally building strong transition practices to support children entering kindergarten and transitional kindergarten (TK). This past summer, the Summer Kinder TK Bridge program was successfully scaled to 14 OUSD elementary school sites, where early childhood educators provided a four-week foundational program for children.