Berks County IU 14, PA -

Berks Early Learning Coalition (BELC)

Purpose
To ensure all Berks County pre-kindergarten children who are considered at risk have access to high-quality early learning education

Mission
To promote Berks County business partnerships and community connections that support pre-kindergarten early learning

Vision
All Berks County children will be fully prepared to enter school ready to learn

Objectives

• Publish articles to build awareness and advocacy.

• Review and revise early childhood data to accurately capture underserved students.

• Host a seminar regarding financing child care and early learning (partner with ELIC).

• Explore program options to enhance partnerships and impact in Berks County.

A Costly Divide

In 2018, Dr. Lynn Karoly, senior economist for the RAND Corporation and professor at the Pardee RAND Graduate School, was the keynote speaker for the Berks Early Learning Summit where she spoke on the importance of investing in tomorrow’s workforce.

Her brief, “A Costly Divide: The Economic Impact of Gaps in Student Performance in Pennsylvania” shows the performance divide that exists between subgroups of students across Pennsylvania and the negative impact of those gaps on the Pennsylvania economy. Investing in early childhood programs is one of four areas that she argues would go a long way to closing those gaps.