October 1, 2026
Research points consistently to the value of continuity across the birth through Grade 3 years: Children experience early childhood as one continuous stretch of life, while the programs, schools, and systems meant to support them often operate apart. Much has been written about what a coherent system should include. Far less is known about how communities actually build connections across those boundaries and sustain them over time. That implementation question is explored through the lens of collaboration, the capability that became foundational to every other implementation strategy in our work.
This “promising practices” brief from the Buffett Institute and the Munroe-Meyer Institute shares lessons from more than a decade of implementing the School as Hub for Early Learning approach in the Omaha metro area.