A Decade of Early Learning Partnerships in Oakland

As a city-wide early learning collaborative, Oakland Starting Smart and Strong (OSSS) brings together community and advocacy groups, early childhood educators, the school district, and city and county leaders to help all children, ​families, and early educators thrive. Ten years, in OSSS worked with Engage R+D to follow up on an earlier study that helped document and measure the growing connections between its partners. The study highlights not only a thriving network of early learning leaders connected to OSSS, but the ways in which these connections support resource sharing, collaboration, and funding opportunities. Members of OSSS used this information in collaborative planning meetings to take stock of their connections and inform their collective impact efforts.