The Saul Zaentz Early Education Initiative at the Harvard Graduate School of Education recently announced the winners of its 2024 Zaentz Early Education Innovation Challenge. This Challenge, in its fifth year, aims to recognize and reward new ideas and approaches that could potentially revolutionize early education.
On October 29, 2024, 10 finalists presented their ideas to a panel of judges and a live audience. Winners were chosen in two tracks: the Envision track, for those with innovative ideas seeking to implement them, and the Accelerate track, for those who have already tested their ideas and aim to refine or expand them. The winning teams received cash prizes of up to $15,000.
In the Accelerate track, the first-place winner was the Childcare Business Incubator Expansion from YWCA New Britain, Connecticut. This initiative serves as an incubator for family child care entrepreneurs to learn essential skills for running and sustaining their programs. The second-place winner was Alliance CREDIBLE from Early Learning Ventures in Colorado, a software application designed to streamline administrative processes for early educators to receive federal reimbursement for nutritious meals. The audience choice award went to the Teacher Housing Initiative from Friends Center for Children in Connecticut, which offers eligible early educators free housing to enhance teacher compensation and financial security.
In the Envision track, the first-place winner was the NEST Parent CDA Program from Educators for Quality Alternatives in Louisiana. This program offers a Child Development Associate certificate program for high school students to intern at an early childhood program on campus, earning their certification before graduation. The second-place winner was AR Choice Tri-Share from Joyfully Engaged Learning in Arkansas, a cost-sharing model for high-quality early childhood care. The audience choice award went to the Immersive Experiential Major Concentration from Appalachian State University in North Carolina, a bachelor’s degree program with a child development concentration.
Nonie Lesaux, co-director of the Saul Zaentz Early Education Initiative, praised all the finalists for their hard work and dedication to early education. Co-director Stephanie Jones highlighted the strategic and entrepreneurial thinking showcased in this year’s Innovation Challenge, emphasizing the potential for transformation in the field of early education.
The panel of judges included experts in early childhood education and policy, such as Junlei Li, Maria Gonzalez Moeller, Casey Peeks, Laura Perille, and Daniel Wilson. The Saul Zaentz Early Education Initiative at the Harvard Graduate School of Education aims to promote optimal early learning environments and experiences through knowledge, professional learning, and collective action.
For more information on the Zaentz Early Education Innovation Challenge, visit the official website. Additionally, the recorded livestream of the event is available for viewing online. This initiative is supported by a generous gift from the Saul Zaentz Charitable Foundation, demonstrating a commitment to advancing early childhood education.
