Learning Starts at Birth—and It Starts in the Neighborhood

Meeting families where they are is a top priority for EPEL and its community partners. Together, we work to engage, inform, equip, and support families that expand access to early learning opportunities so that every family has the resources they need to help their children thrive and be ready for school.

Through Learning On the Go EPEL and partners bring learning directly into neighborhoods, offering play-based experiences that include books, story time, crafts, lunch, and take-home materials for children ages birth to five. Activities are designed around The Basics Principles—five simple, powerful ways to boost brain development and nurture early skills every child needs.

Launched in 2016 as pop-up family engagement events, Learning On the Go has grown into a weekly program with bilingual Family Ambassadors hosting sessions in outdoor neighborhood play areas— in Elgin, Hanover Park and Streamwood. These trusted community spaces connect families to resources across health, education, and social services. Children receive a backpack with learning tools, new books, and early learning materials each week. Families even have the opportunity to check out books from the library’s bookmobile—nurturing a love of learning from the very start.

To learn more about Learning On The Go Neighborhood Park Programs, contact: AndreaVargas@enrichingpartnerships.org

Registration HERE