The Bloomington Early Learning Advisory Council is a group of volunteer parents and other Early Childhood supporters who are interested in promoting the goals of Bloomington Public Schools Early Childhood programs which serve our youngest learners, age birth through 5 years old.

Our Mission

Our mission is to strengthen the parent/caregiver commitment to Bloomington Early Childhood Family Education (ECFE) as well as advise and advocate on behalf of all of Bloomington Early Learning Services, which includes ECFE, Early Childhood Screening, preschool programming for three- and four-year-olds, and Early Childhood Special Education.

Our Bylaws

The purpose of bylaws for corporations is to establish the Advisory’s management structure and procedures. This legally binding document serves as an operating manual for the organization and is developed by its board of directors. Read the Bylaws

What We Do

We focus our work in four areas:

1. Planning events, activities, and offerings that bring families together

2. Increasing awareness of ECFE and all Early Learning programs so more families know about them

3. Raising money to support Bloomington Early Learning Services

4. Providing feedback to continually improve Bloomington Early Learning Services

Project Highlights from Last School Year:

• Packed 2 mini school buses full of diapers and raised $885 to help with an urgent diaper need in Bloomington

• Sourced discounted tickets and hosted 46 families at the Minnesota Children's Museum for a family field trip

• Launched ECSE Connect, an online support group for families with children with disabilities

• Raised $5,535 raised for new gym equipment for Pond and Southwood Early Learning Centers

• Hosted Teacher Appreciation events for 100+ ELS teachers and staff

• Hosted ~300 people at the ELS Family Picnic at Moir Park on June 2, 2022

• Offered Early Learning spirit wear through our online store

Three Ways to Get Involved

• Board Member: Commit to a full year of membership including attending monthly meetings. You will have voting privileges and be able to help make decisions. View Current Board Members

• Occasional Volunteer: Can’t commit to monthly meetings, but interested in helping with one-off tasks related to events, fundraisers, outreach, etc.

• Email List Only: Interested in receiving email updates about what the Advisory is doing. (All members and occasional volunteers are added to the Email List automatically.) Subscribe to Email List

Our Meetings

We meet every month for 1.5 hours, with the exception of July and December. We meet virtually. See the Meeting Schedule

Being a Member

Membership is open to any past or current ECFE participant or anyone currently enrolled in another ELS program who supports the mission of the council. The Advisory also includes the ELS Manager who serves as a non-voting member. The majority of members will be parents or caregivers of children participating in ECFE, as Minnesota state law requires the council to advise on the ECFE program specifically, however we aim to have representation from as many ELS programs and diversified backgrounds as possible.

Members:

• Desire to strengthen the family unit and support Bloomington ELS through increased parent involvement.

• Have an interest and motivation in the work of the Advisory Council.

• Can serve as a liaison between program participants and staff.

• Can commit to a full year of membership including attending 10 monthly meetings (we do not meet in December and June); two absences are reasonably excused.

How to Join

Please indicate your interest by submitting the online form at the bottom of our homepage, or print our Interest Form, complete it, and give it to your teacher. The form can be submitted at any time with members reviewed and invited to join by the Officers at any point during the year. We keep in touch with all members via our email list.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Do I have to be a member to come to a meeting?
  No. Visitors are welcome anytime. Nonmembers cannot vote on Advisory business, however.

• What if I can’t commit to attend all the meetings?
  You can still attend meetings and be involved as a volunteer. We regularly publish volunteer opportunities associated with events and other activities sponsored by the Advisory.

• What is the difference between attending meetings and being a member?
  Members get voting rights. Non-members can participate in discussion and give input, but they cannot vote on Advisory Council business or decisions. Members agree to attend 10 meetings a year with 2 absences reasonably excused.