Great Expectations
Working Together so Children Thrive
While our Great Expectations special initiative has sunset, we continue to work with the community to overcome inequities and support the well-being of young children and families in Forsyth County.
Watch our short 10-Year Anniversary Video
For more information about GE, watch the Full Story
In the beginning…
In 2015, we launched Great Expectations, a bold, ten-year, $40 million special initiative aimed at ensuring all Forsyth County children enter kindergarten ready to learn and leave set for success. As we worked to realize this large goal over time, we transformed the goal itself, to address systemic inequities and root causes underlying the problems the initiative was created to address.
What is the initiative up to now?
While GE has reached completion, we will continue to work with the community to overcome inequities and support the well-being of young children and families through our Inclusive Economy work.
We know we need an environment where all people can thrive economically, if our children are going to thrive. We are exploring efforts that foster economic conditions where everyone has access to opportunity and develop systems-based solutions to address the root causes of poverty
We are a connected community.
Changing systems and working for racial equity requires us to stay deeply connected to community, particularly our Black and brown leaders. Together, we will find new ways of building an even stronger, more resilient Forsyth County.
Updates and Reports
Educational Equity Through High-Quality Pre-K
A call to action from The Pre-K Priority on why investing in high-quality pre-K is a means of advancing social and racial equity in our educational system and enhancing children’s prospects for lifelong success.
Forsyth Family Voices
A community engagement initiative that trained service providers to interview parents and caregivers (largely low-income and of color) about families’ strengths and what they need to help their children succeed.
Early Childhood Service System Analysis
Conducted in partnership with Forsyth Futures, this research created a comprehensive map of services that impact early childhood development, to understand systems gaps and opportunities for alignment.
Family, Friend, and Neighbor Care Study
Surveyed parents and caregivers to learn more about informal childcare arrangements in Forsyth County, because only 34 percent of young children in the county are enrolled in licensed and regulated care.
Our Grantmaking Strategies
We leverage a variety of strategies to advance our goals, across all programs, initiatives, and bodies of work.
Activating Change With Our Values
We start by listening. Believe in communities. Engage unlikely partners. Employ a place-based approach. Believe equity is essential to everything we do. Focus on outcomes. Support scale and sustainability.
Funding Opportunities
Find out what we’re funding now.