Summary: The state of education in our country is always a hot topic. This week we are joined by early childhood education specialist Sara Carlson to discuss the important role early childhood education plays in our communities and in our country. As we move through the next several months, it is our hope to bring you more conversation like the one you'll hear today! Thanks for listening. About Sara Carlson Sara Carlson, a resident of Willmar, MN has more than 17 years of experience in the early care and education field. She is currently serving as a Program Officer with the Southwest Initiative Foundation based in Hutchinson, leading their Early Childhood Initiative (ECI) program. She is a key leader in the Minnesota Early Childhood Initiative, a grassroots community organizing effort to focus on children birth-five years, seeding 16 ECI coalitions in southwest MN. Carlson serves on the Governor’s Early Learning Council for Minnesota, the Start Early Funders Coalition and on numerous other groups that advance early care and education interests statewide. She has special expertise in infant and early childhood mental health, community organizing and leadership development. She is a graduate of the College of Saint Benedict in St Joseph, MN. She is a graduate of the Blandin Community Leadership Program(2006) and Institute for Conservation Leadership “Leading from Within” (2010). Early Childhood Learning Resources The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) Lessons Learned: A Report by Wilder Research, 2007 Impacts & Insights: A Report by Wilder Research, 2010 The Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis - Special Studies (as referred to by Sara Carlson during the interview) Image courtesy of Sara Carlson and Southwest Initiative Foundation. Used with permission. The Conversation Hub is produced by BassClef Productions. Content © 2012 BassClef Productions/Marc Vaillancourt
