Request for Information Overview – Mind in the Making Learning Communities

March 10, 2011

With support from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, Families and Work Institute (FWI) announces a Request for Information (RFI). We are seeking submissions from national, state or community nonprofit organizations across the country that are using or want to use the Mind in the Making book, video book (Vook) and/or library of videos to create or enhance learning communities to promote children’s learning and well being across the birth through eight continuum. Our purpose is to provide mini-grants to these learning communities and at the same time, to share their lessons learned about the most effective strategies in creating and enhancing learning communities.

Background
Child development specialists largely agree that children and families thrive best in a coordinated system of quality education, care, family support and physical care from birth through age eight. Unfortunately, the realities of education, child care, health and family support in the United States are a far cry from what children and families need—they are a patchwork of fragmented programs and their lack of coordination across age groups and roles/auspices creates a lack of continuity for children and families.

Mind in the Making: A Vehicle for Creating or Enhancing Learning Communities
Over the past decade, Families and Work Institute has created a collaborative effort to share the science of children’s learning with the general public, families and professionals who work with children and families. With the production company, New Screen Concepts, we film researchers “in action”—showing actual experiments, and present the science of children’s development in an accessible and inspiring way. To date, we have interviewed over 100 researchers and have more filming planned—giving us the most extensive library of research on children’s development and learning ever created.  From these sources, we have thus far created a book and video book (Vook), each titled Mind in the Making: The Seven Essential Skills Every Child Needs.  In April 2011, we will release a library of videos.

Since the publication of the book in April 2010, we have observed that Mind in the Making (MITM) is emerging as an unusual and effective strategy for crossing boundaries and creating strong linkages. Throughout the country, groups of parents, educators, and other family support and health professionals have joined together to learn more about the research on children’s learning from birth through age eight, and about how to use this research to promote better outcomes for children. FWI has come to think of these groups as “learning communities” because of their enthusiasm for learning.

What is the Purpose of this RFI?
The goal of this RFI is to gather information about how the book Mind in the Making: The Seven Essential Life Skills Every Child Needs, as well as the Vook and/or the library of videos are or can be used as a focal point for the development of learning communities across the country.

We will be distributing mini-grants of up to $5000 community, state, or national organizations. All grantees will be required to submit an application (see the submission form) to FWI that provides a brief description of what your group is doing or plans to do, that shares lessons learned in creating learning communities, and that includes a budget summary. Please note that only expenses directly attributable to grant activities are allowed; therefore, a general overhead percentage or indirect costs are not allowed.

We also encourage grantees to find creative, engaging ways to share their experiences with us after grants are given. This may be in the form of blogs, Facebook pages, and videos of groups “in action.”


Who should respond to this RFI?
*

• Respondents must be 501c3 nonprofit organizations.
• We are especially interested in identifying organizations that are working in underserved communities and that bridge the birth through eight divide.

This RFI does not represent a contract between FWI and any applying organization. FWI is not liable for any costs incurred for the preparation and submission of a response to this RFI. FWI reserves the right the share the lessons learned from these RFIs in a report. The report will be shared with the grantees for verification before publication.

How do I apply?
To apply, please submit applications of no more than two double-spaced pages in 12-point font (see the submission form) via email to mitm-rfi@familiesandwork.org by March 28, 2011. We will begin to award these mini-grants by March 31, 2011, and will continue to award them through April 30th.

If you have any questions regarding the RFI process, please email mitm-rfi@familiesandwork.org or call (212) 465-2044.

* Please note that the focus of this RFI is on the book, the Vook and/or the library of videos, not the Learning Modules for Teachers that FWI has created.

  
Frequently Asked Questions about the Request For Information Mind In The Making Learning Communities