An early childhood retreat occurred in which State leaders and community partners met with Bill Fulton and Jodi Hardin from the Denver-based Civic Canopy to brainstorm an initial process for designing the Executive Office on Early Learning’s strategic plan, under Governor Neal Abercrombie.

Six focus areas were identified. Leaders for each of the six focus areas were recruited and over 80 public and private stakeholders invited to participate in working groups to develop a large context map of Hawaii’s early childhood landscape. R. Scott Spann, MPA, and Founder of Innate Strategies was hired to facilitate the mapping process. See map here.

Key strategies and outcomes for each focus area for integrating the early childhood system were developed, based on best practice research and identified “levers of change” from the mapping process. Strategies were endorsed by the Early Learning Advisory Board (ELAB).

Hawai`i’s Early Childhood Action Strategy was launched. The plan was finalized and implementation began. Collaborative Leaders Network serves as the backbone organization of the planning and implementation of the Early Action Strategy.

U.S. Education Delivery Institute was contracted to assist in developing planning and governance mechanisms.

Work plans, metrics, delivery chains and evaluation rubrics for each focus area were created.

Implementation continued and Action Strategy leaders were invited to participate in a Systems Design Innovation Lab to receive mentoring from international Systems Design experts.

Governor Ige became the new Governor. Action Strategy teams continued to meet and implement through the transition of Administrations. Governor Ige decided to keep Action Strategy work in the Governor’s Office to maintain a neutral location for convening departments and community partners.

Executive Office on Early Learning moved to the Department of Education as an attached agency. EOEL and Action Strategy continued to work closely with one another.

To enable the Action Strategy network to secure additional private funding, Action Strategy, moved out of State Government and into a local 501c3, but remained focus on supporting government-nongovernment partnerships.

Action Strategy backbone grew to 5 full-time staff plus contractors.

Early Childhood Action Strategy became its own 501(c)(3) under Collaborative Support Services, Inc.