After two years, our appeal is coming to a close in May 2024.
We anticipate with joy and thanksgiving that Westwood will reach the $1,000,000 goal! Through God's grace and our congregation's generosity, Westwood has been able to be a catalyst within our community to support Rise Early Learning Center.
THIS MATTERS!
See a glimpse of what started as a vision, opened in January 2024, and is now thriving in our community. Thank you again to all those who have given their time, talents, and financial resources to make this dream become a reality!
Personal Check
Online giving through your bank
IRA Distribution, Donor-advised Fund, or Stock Gift
(contact Becky Arndt for assistance, 952-767-5562, b.arndt@westwood.church)
Background and Inception:
2020 saw the inception of a new Westwood initiated Outreach ministry, initially called 'The Prayer of Good Courage Project'. After much prayer and groundwork, a new 501c3 non-profit called Rise Early Learning Center was incorporated with the vision of opening a 62 spot childcare with 31 of the spots designated as affordable (paying on average 50% of full price). The center is projected to open in 2023 in a CommonBond Communities development of 100-120 units of affordable housing.
Here were the major developments in 2020:
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Rise Early Learning Center was incorporated in May of 2020.
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On Sept. 15th the Westwood council, after a process of congregational feedback, approved a 3-year $1 million dollar appeal launching in 2022 with all proceeds going to Rise Early. This is the catalyst for Rise Early to move ahead.
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Six other faith communities, including Adath Jeshurun Synagogue, committed $125,000-$175,000 of support over the first 12 years of the program.
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Rise Early received over $200,000 in donations in 2020.
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Rise Early board established its vision, core values, and 3-year goals as part of a business planning process.
Original speakers series that prepared Westwood in the early stages
We are excited to welcome the following people to give more information on the Rise Early Learning Center initiative.
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April 24: "Why High-Quality Early Learning is Critical to Our Economy" with Art Rolnick, Associate Economist at the University of MN and the former Director of research at the Federal Reserve.
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May 1: Meeting our Partners: Way to Grow + Common Bond Communities​
Carolyn Smallwood, CEO of Way to Grow
Cecile Bedor, Common Bond Communities Executive Vice President of Real Estate
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May 8: Learning more about Rise Early Learning Center with the Board Members
Rise Early Board Members
Jenelle Bullen
Westwood Board Member
I serve as the Early Learning Coordinator for the Richfield public schools. I have worked my entire adult life as an educator both in the US and in the Caribbean as a teacher, administrator or school leader.
I am drawn to serve on the Rise Early board because the mission closely aligns with my personal passions of creating quality early childhood education and working toward equity and inclusion in education.
Rabbi Barry Cytron
Community Board Member
I am recently retired from Macalester College, having served on the faculty and been one of its chaplains for many years. Earlier, I was a congregation rabbi, first in Des Moines and then at Westwood’s neighbor, Adath Jeshurun Congregation. Quality early childhood education was a treasured orientation of each synagogue, reflected movingly now in Adath’s decision to be a faith partner in this critical new venture.
Ever since hearing Art Rolnick speak about his cutting-edge studies affirming the countless dividends of initiatives like Rise Early, I have wondered how best to salute his research. Joining the Board provides an opportunity to work with committed others to advance affordable high-quality child care and redress historic inequities in our community.
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Patrice Howard
Community Board Member
I currently serve as the Director of Community Education for St. Louis Park Schools and have served over 20 years of cross-sector partnership experience in youth, family, and community development. As an educator, I hold a belief in the importance of affirming identity and culture in programming and have dedicated my life’s work to inclusive practices and collaborative leadership.
I am excited to serve on the board of Rise Early because of its holistic approach to early childhood development and its intentionality around community building. I look forward to promoting access and opportunity of early learning education through engagement and collaborative practice for all!
Paula Landis
Community Board Member
I have been in my role as the Early Childhood Education (ECE) Curriculum Director for the YWCA Minneapolis since 2017. I have developed and lead the ECE Workforce Development Program including the publication of the YWCA Minneapolis Anti-Bias Preschool Curriculum.
As a Rise Early Board Member, I am pleased to share a commitment to social justice by supporting ECE teacher quality.
Jane Severson
Westwood Board Member
I have spent my career building growth strategies for leading enterprises. I work in Health IT doing product development, strategy, and business transformation. I have been active with the Westwood Early Childcare Center as a past board chair and am a long-time resident of St. Louis Park.
I am thrilled to be serving on the board of Rise Early and an organization whose mission is to build partnerships to support families in our diverse community by providing outstanding early childcare learning programs that are accessible to everyone.
Carolyn Smallwood
Community Board Member
I am the CEO of Way to Grow and joined the organization in 2004. Under my direction, Way to Grow has become an evidence-based leader in home visiting service as well as early and K-3rd education in Minnesota. Way to Grow has grown its capacity and increased its service area to now serve more than 2,000 clients annually.
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I have decided to join the Rise Early board of directors because I believe in the vision of the Rise Early collaborative to ensure equal access to early education and housing to all community members in the St. Louis Park area.
Jeff Stutzman
Westwood Board Member
My family has been members of Westwood for 40 years and I am a past treasurer. I am a retired CPA and business owner. I have started and run or helped run several businesses in my career and served on several non-profit boards.
I hope that my business and non-profit perspective will be a benefit to Rise Early. I was drawn to Rise Early by the overwhelming evidence of the importance of affordable high-quality child care and the need to be more than a passive observer
Jason Van Hunnik
Westwood Board Member
I have served as a pastor at Westwood since 2004. It has been moving to see this dream of Westwood working side by side with members of the community to create better access to high-quality childcare for those who don’t always have that opportunity. I’m excited by the leadership and expertise on the board to go along with the commitment to creating a community of possibility.
Jim Vos
Westwood Board Member
I'm a 30+ year member of Westwood and have served in various leadership capacities both within the church and across the non-profit community. As a commercial real estate consultant, I have the privilege of working with a wide range of organizations and developing an extensive network of advisors.
The mission of Rise Early builds on my passions as a grandfather and a catalyst for change in our community.