Episode 75: Empowering Parents as Teachers - Mobile Early Education Outreach Team (With Play Smart Literacy)

Not Just Cute, the Podcast: Intentional Whole Child Development for Parents and Teachers of Young Children

In episode 74, I introduced you to Michele Dineen-White, the creator of Play Smart Literacy in Chicago. Play Smart Literacy is a truly mobile outreach program, meaning that rather than hoping parents can overcome the burden of traveling to a specific location to receive services, Play Smart Literacy goes out into the community, particularly in vulnerable areas, to contact families and meet them right where they are – both literally and figuratively. They teach workshops at laundromats, gas stations, and standing in line at the market.

The passion for this program - and what it does for children and families - is contagious! In fact, many members of the team were once on the other side of the program – they were parents learning for the first time that talking and playing with their babies could make a meaningful difference in their development. They saw the benefits of the program with their own eyes and in their own homes and decided they wanted to share that message with other parents.

In this episode, I talk with members of the Play Smart Literacy team, about why they're so passionate about their work, what that work looks like, and how they've seen it change lives.