As a valuable member of the community, we appreciate your interest in working together to solve challenges and hope we can count on you to join the movement to make Ohio the best place to be a young child.

Groundwork Ohio is going on the road! We’re holding community conversations throughout Ohio engaging families, early childhood professionals, maternal health experts, local government officials, and statewide policymakers about the challenges facing our state’s youngest.

Join us in Piqua on Friday, May 17, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. as we hear from regional experts on the unique early childhood and maternal health challenges facing your community.

Moderated by David Larson, Miami County ESC, expert panelists include:

• Julie Ehemann, Shelby County Commissioner
  
• Trish Wackler, Chief Operating Officer and Chief Nursing Officer at Premier Health
  
• Karin Somers, Early Childhood Director at CORS Head Start
  
• Deb Frazier, Center Director at Greene Street Daycare and Preschool
  

Richard Hanes, Vice President of Advancement, Strategic Planning, and Partnerships at Edison State Community College and Executive Director of The Edison Foundation, will be providing a welcome.

Empowering Advocacy Through Storytelling: Crafting Narratives to Influence Policy and Change – family advocates are encouraged to participate in the LORE Storytelling project immediately following the event from 1-2:30 pm.

Engage with Te’Jal Cartwright, owner and story coach at LORE, in a professional workshop designed for administrators, educators, families, and advocates. Learn strategic storytelling methods tailored to influence policymakers toward beneficial legislative reforms. Explore the historical roots of storytelling and its modern applications within advocacy. Gain practical insights and techniques to effectively leverage storytelling as a tool for driving policy change and societal improvement.