Great Start is all about system building
GREAT START is Michigan’s nationally recognized state-wide initiative supporting school readiness and life success for young children. In 2006, the Dickinson-Iron Great Start was one of the first 14 collaboratives funded in Michigan. Now we begin year 14 as one of 54 Great Start Collaboratives in MICHIGAN, a nationally recognized leader in the early childhood movement!
ACTION AGENDAS
Mission Statement
The MISSION of the Great Start is to coordinate family and community engagement to assure a coordinated system of support, services and resources is available to assist Dickinson and Iron County families in achieving a ‘great start’ in school for all children from birth to eight years old.
ABOUT GREAT START
Parent Coalition
DI Great Start Coalition consists of parent leaders and caregivers of young children. The DIGSPC is dedicated to prioritizing parent leadership and empowering parents to assist families in parenting skills, developing leadership skills, advocating for children and encouraging parents to join causes and take action by speaking up and making a difference!
ABOUT PARENT COALITION
Trusted Advisors
The purpose of Michigan's Trusted Advisors is to engage Great Start Parent Coalition leaders to strengthen and develop community systems to improve connections to families with children birth to age 5. By promoting early learning, early literacy, leadership development, critical thinking and peer mentoring - parents become trusted advisors who make a difference.
TRUSTED ADVISOR TRAININGS
Imagination Library
Maria Johns, Dickinson-Iron Imagination Library Coordinator
The Imagination Library inspires, educates and supports the core value of helping to inspire a love of reading and learning in children. With over 1,200 children enrolled monthly in the Imagination Library in Dickinson and Iron Counties, results indicate more children are reading daily, reading skills and vocabulary improve and more children and families are reading together. The Imagination Library has inspired and instilled a sense of joy in reading for our local children.
Please Support Dickinson-Iron children's enrollment in Imagination Library by donating below:
Great Start Partners
Teamwork, system building and partnerships are all integral and essential components of completing successful annual Great Start Work Plans. Great Start identifies partners with similar tasks and goals in order to collaborate and coordinate initiatives that improve family and children's lives. Great Start is a system, a movement that greatly benefits when partnerships work together to maximize performance and activities goals and objectives.
PARTNERSHIP CHART
Great Start Strategic Plan
Great Start Strategic Planning is an important process of documenting and focusing on missions, visions, values, action plans and goals. Great Start Strategic Planning takes place every 3 to 4 years as an important method that sets priorities by focusing on leaders and stakeholders achieving common goals and outcome results proven successful through an assessment process.
