Equal Start: Early Learning Access

Equal Start is Beth Am’s social justice initiative whose goal is creating access to high-quality early learning for all California children from birth to five years of age. Equal Start is especially focused on addressing the needs of underserved areas in San Mateo and Santa Clara Counties.

The benefits of early childhood education are huge. There are, however, significant challenges that prevent many children in our community from accessing such early childhood education. The research is clear that
children who are not performing at grade level by the age of eight have a really hard time ever catching up.

Beth Am congregants are engaged in the following actions to overcome these challenges:

• Child-centered activities: working directly with preschool children, their families and their teachers on topics ranging from games and puzzles to reading, language development and gardening.
• Provider-centered activities: developing relevant computer and business skills, producing learning kits for preschool and home use, helping with music, sports, etc.
• Policy-centered activities: supporting legislative initiatives and arranging community educational forums.

For information about volunteer opportunities with Equal Start, please contact equalstart-info@betham.org.

We really need your help and would love to have you as part of our team! Please also consider supporting Beth Am's Equal Start Initiative through a donation in honor or memory of a loved one.

No Small Matter
Watch this 90-minute webinar that includes an enthusiastic presentation from Rachel Giannini, the teacher featured in the film No Small Matter, a film that beautifully portrays the importance of early childhood education. Also included are insights from our panel of local experts. The Equal Start program produced this webinar in late 2020 but it is still very relevant.