Thrive in 5′s Ready Educators Pilot is an innovative effort to improve early childhood programs and, ultimately, young children’s readiness for Kindergarten. The Ready Educators Pilot will achieve these goals in a way that both respects individual programs’ unique strengths and challenges and, at the same time, holds all programs accountable for contributing to measurable improvements in children’s readiness for Kindergarten.

To support this work, Thrive in 5 is seeking organizations to serve as Technical Assistance Providers. For more information, please review the Ready Educators Technical Assistance Provider Request for Information below. Responses are due by 4:00pm on July 19, 2013.

PLEASE NOTE that the deadline for Letters of Intent has been extended to Friday, July 12, 2013. All other deadlines in the RFI remain unchanged.

Ready Educators Technical Assistance Provider Request for Information

Thrive in 5′s Ready Educators Pilot is an innovative effort to improve early childhood programs and, ultimately, young children’s readiness for Kindergarten. The Ready Educators Pilot will achieve these goals in a way that both respects individual programs’ unique strengths and challenges and, at the same time, holds all programs accountable for contributing to measurable improvements in children’s readiness for Kindergarten.

To support this work, Thrive in 5 is seeking an organization that will act as a Quality Improvement Partner to oversee the Ready Educators pilot project.

For more information, please review the Ready Educators Quality Improvement Partner RFR and appendices below. Responses are due by 4:00pm on May 3, 2013.

Ready Educators Quality Improvement Partner Request for Responses

Ready Educators Quality Improvement Partner RFR - Appendix A: Conceptual Model

Ready Educators Quality Improvement Partner RFR - Appendix B: Budget Template

Ready Educators Quality Improvement Partner RFR - Appendix C: Project Plan and Timeline

Thrive in 5′s Boston Children Thrive initiative received an Outstanding Achievement City Livability Award from the US Conference of Mayors and Waste Management, Inc. at the annual USCM Conference in Orlando on June 14th.

“Boston is a city of neighborhoods and Thrive in 5 is transforming our neighborhoods into opportunity-rich communities for our city’s youngest children and their families,“ Mayor Menino said. “I’m honored to accept this award on behalf of Thrive in 5 and all of the Boston Children Thrive partners.”

Launched in 2010, Boston Children Thrive is Thrive in 5’s on-the-ground effort to engage parents as their children’s first teachers and as neighborhood-wide change agents for school readiness. In Allston/Brighton, East Boston, South End/Lower Roxbury, Dudley, and Fields Corner, Thrive in 5 and its partners have created networks of parents, community organizations, and neighborhood businesses that plan and carry out activities and provide opportunities that support young children’s healthy growth, development and school readiness.

Click here to read more about the City Livability Award.

Thrive in 5 has selected Jane E. Tewksbury as its new Executive Director. On February 6th, Tewksbury started her post as head of Boston’s citywide movement to ensure that all children entering kindergarten have the resources and support they need for success in school and beyond. Tewksbury has served as Commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Youth Services since 2005.

“Over my career at DYS, I’ve seen how the early years are a key part of the pathway to success later in life,” said Tewksbury. “Our investments in young children – reflecting our commitment to prevention and early intervention – allow us to get at the root of many issues that are so complex to address later on.”

Appointed by Governor Mitt Romney in 2005, Tewksbury is currently serving as the Commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Youth Services where she is known for promoting positive youth development as a means to improve outcomes for juvenile offenders. In addition to serving as Assistant Attorney General and Assistant District Attorney during her legal career, Tewksbury completed a mid-career Children and Family Fellowship at the Annie E. Casey Foundation, where she participated in state-level human services systems reform in Arkansas and Maryland. Tewksbury is on the board of the Massachusetts Children’s Trust Fund and the YWCA. She earned her law degree from the University of Wisconsin Law School and her undergraduate degree from Harvard/Radcliffe College.

Click here to read more about Thrive in 5′s new Executive Director.