This morning, I was honored to accept the Minnesota Early Childhood Funders Network’s Fifth Annual “Nancy” Award on behalf of the Minnesota Initiative Foundations (MIFs). The award recognizes extraordinary leadership in improving the well-being of young children and was awarded during the Nancy Latimer Convening for Children and Youth in St. Paul.
The award recognizes the foundations’ leadership, vision and commitment to enhancing the social and emotional development of infants and young children through the Minnesota Thrive Initiative. The initiative, a statewide effort created and implemented by the MIFs, works to strengthen local support networks to ensure the social and emotional well-being of children from birth through five, with an emphasis on the first three years.
The award honors the MIFs for:
- Recognizing the importance of early social and emotional development to educational success and lifelong well-being
- Creating innovative grassroots systems – from promotion and prevention to intensive intervention – to foster the healthy development of infants and children
- Working across sectors and fostering local leadership and action
- Sharing lessons among communities and professionals to implement new approaches and practices
- Raising public awareness and deepening understanding of infant and early childhood mental health
- Modeling collaboration, commitment, and creativity
- Inspiring others to work to make life better for young children – and the adults who care about them
This award has special meaning for all of us representing the MIFs after working with Nancy Latimar and The McKnight Foundation to create our Early Childhood Initiative, the predecessor to our Thrive Initiative. Nancy was a truly amazing and very special woman. Her sincere commitment, passion, energy and dedication played such an impactful role in our early childhood efforts.
Nancy Latimer was very proud of the MIFs work in Early Childhood and we were blessed to have had her help. We believe even she would be in disbelief that ECI—which started as a three-year project—is preparing to add its 90th community coalition this fall and has created Thrive – yet another legacy.
Looking forward, we are excited to continue making a positive impact. I guarantee Nancy’s legacy lives on. She taught us to push ourselves, take a moment to celebrate our success, and then ask “What’s next?”
So, what is next? What can you and we do to improve the lives of young children in your community?
