The Future Project

The Future Project is all about imagining a new early learning future in Florida

We are building a coalition grounded in parent and educator voices. Together, we have created an actionable roadmap for the future of early learning policy and funding in our state.

Hearing the dreams and struggles of Florida parents and educators was our starting point to reimagine the future for our youngest learners. Mothers, fathers, educators, center owners and directors, advocates, and state policy experts worked collaboratively to plan the future.

This work is made possible by the Helios Education Foundation. You can read more in a Helios guest blog.

Florida's Early Learning Roadmap

After traveling throughout the state hosting more than 65 listening and feedback sessions engaging 850+ Floridians, our Steering Committee (made up of 70% parents and educators) worked collaboratively to create an actionable roadmap for the future of early learning policy and funding in our state.

Download the Roadmap

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It will take all of us to make the roadmap recommendations a reality. Sign up to get involved in the implementation.

Phase 1: Let's Talk About Early Learning

April to October 2022

Through a listening tour, hundreds of Floridians will share critical perspectives and become the core of this effort. We've begun a series of "Let's Talk!" sessions, asking simple questions about the experiences parents, educators, family child care home operators and center owners/directors have had with early learning.

Check out our image gallery below. Read our key takeaways from the listening tour here.

You can also view a presentation of the findings from our webinar on March 17, 2023.

So far we've engaged:

234 parents
159 educators... across
22 Florida counties

Phase 2: Drafting the Roadmap

October 2022 to February 2023

As we move forward to draft the roadmap, parents and educators, who have often been missing from policy conversations, will come together with state leaders and others with system-level expertise.

It is important for the success of this project to have a diverse group of people leading the work: from different economic circumstances and family backgrounds, bringing different parenting styles and educational preferences, understanding the intricacies of the early learning system, and representing communities all across our state.

The Steering Committee will be this group of leaders. No matter what perspective or expertise each member brings, they will come together as equal partners, each committed to the work over the next 10 months.

Meet Our Steering Committee

Phase 3: Community Feedback

March to May 2023

Once we have a draft of the roadmap, we'll make another tour around the state: this time, engaging larger groups of Floridians in community meetings. We look forward to strong engagement, with feedback and comments that make the plan stronger.

We'll make final edits based on this feedback before launching the final roadmap and moving to make it happen!

Paving the Road to Early Learning Success - Community Feedback Sessions

Steering Committee retreat in Orlando - Dec. 9, 2022

Colorful banner introducing Let's Talk sessions across the state

Our "Let's Talk!" listening sessions have taken us all across the state and into the virtual sphere. We had so many partners and friends help us invite participants for these intimate discussions--usually over dinner. Here's a look at where we've been. (Our virtual sessions are not pictured but included parents in the Keys, and home visitors and Spanish-speaking parents across the state.)