This RC6 project provides resources, leadership, and mentoring for a statewide professional development initiative focused on ensuring equitable access to high-quality early learning environments. The RC6 assembled a team of early childhood experts and practitioners at the state, local, and school level who determined there was need for a statewide collaborative in the early childhood area. The need stems from the challenge of ensuring school policies, practices, and strategies for our youngest learners encompass what research and data tell us is essential to their successful development and learning. The project, which began in Year 3, has two main features:

1. In this COVID-19 pandemic recovery period, Early Childhood Leaders in North Carolina expressed a need to learn more about how to help improve access to high-quality early learning environments (particularly as an intervention for students of color and those who live in poverty). The RC6 formed a state collaborative including 13 Early Childhood Program Leaders from across the state, one leader from the SEA, and three expert facilitators. The collaborative participated in a national P3 Leader Certificate Program and meets monthly as a group to share thoughts and strategies.
2. The RC6 is also developing and disseminating documents, through presentation and other means, that encourage the continuous improvement of policies, practices, and strategies in Early Childhood. Dissemination activities also focus on promoting awareness and support of opportunities to utilize state ARP and ESSER funds for early childhood. (See Early Childhood at region6cc.uncg.edu/resources/)