The three counties that Tandem serves—Alameda, Contra Costa, and San Francisco—are poised to make historic investments in early childhood. In these communities, state and local policies will come together over the next few years to address the negative impacts of the pandemic and build a strong, stable early learning system that meets the needs of families, providers, and the economy. 

As priorities align to increase the quantity and quality of early care and learning experiences, Tandem is excited to move forward with a bold three-year vision that matches the energy of this moment. 

The audacious goals encapsulated in our vision will expand the reach and impact of programs to serve larger numbers of children, families, and educators in a deeper, more effective manner while continuing to deliver on the things we are known (and loved) for. 

Our key strategies include: 

• Growing StoryCycles to serve 1,500 classrooms and 23,000 children annually
• Deepening Early Learning Everywhere to provide meaningful, ongoing programming to 1,200 children and families annually 
• Providing timely, aligned support for educators and community leaders through Network Capacity Building
• Designing and implementing innovative programs in strategic areas like early math 

So, what will it mean to implement this vision?
How will it shape our programming for 2022-2023? 

With StoryCycles, our approach is two-pronged. On the one hand, we will focus on rebuilding programming to pre-pandemic levels of 800 robust classroom partnerships. This means reconnecting with educators, replenishing classroom libraries, and re-establishing a regular cadence of activities (technical assistance, classroom Read Alouds, educator professional development, and family support) critical for program effectiveness. At the same time, we will also lay the groundwork to grow our programming, both by launching new classrooms with current partner agencies and by establishing new relationships with high-priority districts and agencies. 

With Early Learning Everywhere, an intentional breadth-depth strategy will guide our work. Through large community pop-up events, we’ll connect with families where they are—at home and in the community (“breadth”)—and direct them towards the consistent programming we provide on a predictable schedule at libraries, family resource centers, and health clinics (“depth”). Early Learning Everywhere will prioritize an audience of subsidized Family, Friend, and Neighbor (FFN) caregivers. Across all three counties, we will deepen relationships and partner with the Black/ African-American community to provide programming that resonates with children and families. 

With Network Capacity Building, we will continue to offer free, online trilingual read alouds and early learning workshops on a monthly basis. We will continue to partner with community leaders in San Francisco’s Mission District (Literacy Champions) to offer community-led workshops, playgroups, and cohort events. And we’ll keep up our participation in the key early learning networks and literacy coalitions that are central to our program models.

Mathematics will continue to be a key area of innovation. Our long-term goal  is to integrate early math into our core programming so that it accounts for a third of everything we do. This year, we’ll get started with two key projects. Math will be at the center of the Read & Play Club, our San Francisco program serving 101 family child care centers  and Give Me Five, our family playgroup series that engages families with play-based activities while also building the comfort and capacity of adults to promote children’s learning.  

Our ambitious agenda is driven by our stakeholders. By families seeking diverse books, information about child development, and connections to other families and trusted experts. By educators looking for materials and ongoing support that will enhance classroom-based learning experience. And by community partners asking for programs that will increase their ability to serve families. 

Ultimately, the transformative power of our work is not only in what we do, but how we do it: through a values-aligned, community-centered approach that builds on the strengths of families, educators, and communities to sustain high-quality early learning experiences. 

Importantly, we cannot do this work without you. Tandem’s whole-system approach brings together the collective strength of our communities to support our youngest learners. There are many ways to get involved:  joining our free online and in-person events, connecting with us through corporate volunteering opportunities, supporting our work with a donation, and sharing our work with others in your network. 

Learn more about our work by joining us on September 22nd at the City Club of San Francisco for our annual fundraising event. Together we can co-create equitable, high-quality early learning experiences for children ages 0-5.