Publications
Publications
- April 2009
- HBS Case Collection
Invest Early: Early Childhood Development in a Rural Community
By: Stacey M. Childress and Geoff Eckman Marietta
Abstract
Invest Early was an early childhood development partnership in rural northern Minnesota between 14 different organizations, which worked together through an advisory board, governing board, and leadership team in order to deliver coordinated early childhood services to young children living in poverty and just above poverty. Initial results showed that Invest Early children were better prepared for kindergarten than their low-income counterparts and the proficiency gap between Invest Early and high-income children had decreased significantly. Integrating and sustaining such a complicated network of individuals and organizations was not easy; it had taken over 10 years and thousands of hours of meetings. Issues such as the continued availability of funding and leadership turnover still threatened the effectiveness of the collaboration, and the economic recession would almost certainly impact future leadership team decisions. Furthermore, the longstanding Head Start Education Manager, Dolores Bretti, was set to retire. Future challenges, such as declining budgets and Bretti's retirement, would require many more hours of meetings and collaborative solutions. Invest Early Director, Jan Reindl, felt that she and the Leadership Team members were ready for anything but also wondered how new personalities and a different operating environment would influence Invest Early. What would need to change? What should remain the same? How could Invest Early and the Leadership Team be prepared for it all?
Keywords
Early Childhood Education; Rural Scope; Management Teams; Managerial Roles; Organizational Change and Adaptation; Business and Community Relations; Partners and Partnerships; Social and Collaborative Networks
Citation
Childress, Stacey M., and Geoff Eckman Marietta. "Invest Early: Early Childhood Development in a Rural Community." Harvard Business School Case 309-089, April 2009.