A civic engagement initiative is working to create understanding and awareness about the importance of investing in the Monadnock region’s youngest demographic.
New Hampshire Listens, an initiative of the Carsey School of Public Policy at the University of New Hampshire, will host five forums across the Monadnock region next week to help facilitate local discussion about what can be done locally to invest in early childhood.
“This is all about helping local communities and engaging them around early childhood,” said Michele Holt-Shannon, co-director of New Hampshire Listens. “We want to make sure that resources are being connected.”
Forums will be held for both the Jaffrey-Rindge and ConVal School Districts. ConVal’s forum will take place at ConVal High School in Peterborough on Sept. 27 and Jaffrey-Rindge’s forum will take place at the Conant High School cafeteria in Jaffrey on Sept. 29.
Both forums will take place from 6 to 8 p.m., with doors opening at 5:30 p.m. Jaffrey-Rindge’s forum will have childcare available. The forums are free and open to the public.
During the forums, families, teachers, community members, business leaders, and policy members will be able to ban together to talk about early childhood development, input that will be used to develop further action plans.