The Blue Cross of Idaho Foundation for Health is proud to support early education initiatives throughout the Gem State. One of the ways we do this is by participating in learning opportunities that offer relevant, practical content to early childhood professionals across Idaho.

On October 3–4, we were honored to attend the annual Early Learning Collaboratives (ELC) Symposium hosted by the Idaho Association for the Education of Young Children (IAEYC) at Boise State University. Now in its third year, the symposium brought together representatives from 23 ELCs from across the state for two days of team building, capacity building, and collaborative learning.

A highlight of the event was the “Shark Tank”-style presentations, where each ELC had 15 minutes to showcase the successes and strengths of their programs. This engaging format allowed attendees to learn from one another and celebrate the innovative work happening in early education across Idaho.

Our Senior Program Officer, Jackie Yarbrough, attended the Friday afternoon session to support the Castleford School District during its presentation. Castleford has received two early childhood education grants from the Foundation—first to launch its program, and later to expand it—making its progress especially meaningful to us.

In addition to Castleford, the following ELCs shared their work: Kuna, Notus-Parma, Basin, Emmett, Canyon County, Magic Valley, Clearwater Regional, Teton Valley, Idaho Falls, American Falls, Madison, Garden City, KJ7, Lincoln County, Marsing, Murtaugh, Treasure Valley, West Central Mountains, Homedale, Wood River, Bannock County, and North Idaho.

The symposium was a resounding success and a testament to the dedication of Idaho’s early education professionals. We’re excited to see how these collaboratives continue to grow and provide valuable learning experiences for young children across the state.