Month of the Young Child Program Partners
For our full calendar of events, visit our Month of the Young Child events page
Meet Marialuz Castro,
Our Month of the Young Child Kick-Off Event Guest Speaker
A birth doula and family service provider for close to 20 years, Marialuz Castro now also serves her community as a mental health therapist (LGPC) specializing in infancy and early childhood. Her work in schools has led her to facilitate professional development sessions for teachers on attunement, child development, socio-emotional learning and anti-bias practices. During the pandemic, she has facilitated teacher support groups and partnered with teachers individually across several schools to create plans for safety and connection for children expressing increased emotional needs.
Month of the Young Child Program Partners
The Council for Professional Recognition promotes improved performance and recognition of professionals in the early childhood education of children ages birth to 5 years old. The Council works to ensure that all professional early childhood educators and caregivers meet the developmental, emotional and educational needs of our nation’s youngest children.
The DMV Early Childhood Nutrition Taskforce is a group of passionate educators, maternal child health experts, and nutritionists with years of experience to provide you with competent compassionate care.
Dramatic Solutions, Inc. is a minority-owned consulting firm with more-than-20-years experience as a leader in drama-based training. The company is an experienced and highly regarded provider of innovative professional development services, workforce training, and clinical interventions. There are numerous academic, government, non-profit, and private industry clientele have benefited from Dramatic Solutions signature methodologies for learning and performance.
The Early Science Initiative (ESI) is a research-based system of embedded professional learning and family engagement. Our team strives to empower and invigorate the adults that support and nurture our youngest scientists. We do not give them scripts to read or a new lesson to follow. Instead, we support them in identifying science in everyday places and spaces.
FRESHFARM FoodPrints integrates gardening, cooking, and nutrition education into the curriculum through a model of partnerships, standards-based curriculum, cafeteria connections and food access. Our expert educators teach hands-on lessons that get students excited about growing, preparing and enjoying fresh, local whole foods — and bring science, math and social studies to life — with the goal of improving health outcomes of children and families.
Fresh Energy Wellness is a hands-on program that provides fitness, nutrition and education that our youth can use in their everyday lives. During our session together, we will discuss new ways to incorporate both nutrition and fitness in our daily routine while building self-confidence and making healthy food choices.
Inspired Child takes a three-pronged approach to improving early childhood education. We offer classroom residencies with professional teaching artists to schools and child development centers, we provide certified professional development for educators, and we hold family workshops that show families ways they can support their child’s literacy development at home.
At Martha’s Table, we believe that every Washingtonian deserves the opportunity to thrive. For 41 years, we’ve been committed to advancing a more equitable Washington, D.C.
We stand firmly alongside Washingtonians day-in and day-out on both sides of the Anacostia River by operating nationally accredited education programs, pairing healthy food access with physical and mental health services, and promoting family success by investing in family leaders.
Mr. Derby presents a live musical performance featuring original and conventional children's songs with Go Go and Caribbean stylings. The show is suitable for children ages 2 - 12 years. Adults are included in the jam session. We sing songs like: Dora, Elmo's World, ABC's and movement songs like Hokie Pokie and other interactive children's songs.
Nelson Early Learning Services is an education consulting group providing services to children ages birth - 8 years old, families of all walks of life, and early childhood educators in DC and the surrounding areas. We were birthed from the need for more high-quality programs in the early childhood community. Our services range from one-on-one academic tutoring, childcare ‘Secret Shoppers,’ advocating for children with special needs, to family support groups. We also provide staffing, ongoing professional development and workshops to educators and school settings. All our services are customized and developed on an individual basis and offered in-person and/or virtually.
The MISSION of Ooey Gooey, Inc. is to reinforce the power of play in the lives of young children. To this, we assist in the transformation of early childhood education (read: getting back to play!) by offering timely and relevant workshops, connecting educators to up-to-date resources and facilitating meaningful connections and conversations between like-minded, playful people in the profession.
Play and Thrive DC is a non profit organization, tackling the play inequity in our nation’s capital. Marginalized families who reside East of the River do not have access to community based programming that fosters development in our youngest and most vulnerable residents. We are the premier source for developmental play East of the River, as we host playdates to promote global development and to strengthen caregiver-child bonds.
UDC SNAP-Ed currently teaches nutrition in several PreK classrooms across DCPS, providing age appropriate nutrition information, movement and samples of nutritious food. They are experts at introducing new foods to children in fun ways.
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Wolf Trap Institute for Early Learning Through the Arts—the flagship education program of Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts—supports over 100,000 children and early childhood educators across the nation and around the world. Wolf Trap Institute’s professional development empowers infant, toddler, preschool, and kindergarten teachers to integrate the performing arts into their classrooms. For more than 35 years, Wolf Trap has worked with early childhood educators across the country to provide the training and tools they need to use the arts to teach and inspire.