Read how our partnership with Hennepin County Library is helping library staff find new, creative ways to reach out to families in support of their dreams.

Shirley Heath 1982 essay demonstrates that the way homes and families organize themselves to focus on language socialization is foundational to children’s success with literacy.

John McKnight argues that the institutionalization of services is destroying our communities, causing citizens to become consumers of services delivered by institutions rather than communities that rely on connectedness and exchange to thrive.

Literacy is not the mastering of basic skills in reading and writing but rather, it is about connecting to the development of oral and written language.

Visit the new Learning Dreams art exhibit at the Hennepin County Government Center in downtown Minneapolis!

Cremin’s argues that school reform alone will never fix America’s educational shortcomings. Instead, he shows that cultivating learning outside of schools by tapping into the enormous wells of creativity and education within families and communities will be key to closing the wide gaps in learning across the nation.

Sociologist Robert Putnam illustrates that educational success strongly correlates with the amount of “social capital” in the family and community.

Many believe that family and community are at the heart of learning. However, outlining the practical steps for shifting away from our current school-centered approach and toward communities that support learning remain unclear.

Edmund Gordon argues that school programs are insufficient to meet the educational challenges we face. Rather, he believes focusing on developing families and communities ability to foster learning is the pathway toward success.

The view that schools hold the responsibility for learning, and that education is primarily delivered by schools is as inaccurate today as the idea that the sun revolves around the earth.