Network Anaheim: Learn Well envisions an Anaheim where children and youth are ready to learn, succeed in school, and are college and career ready.
Established in 2014, Network Anaheim: Learn Well was First 5 Orange County’s second Engaged Neighborhood.
Learn Well empowers families to advocate on behalf of their young children and provides early childhood resources to families. Learn Well develops parent leaders through a Resident Leadership Academy, which trains participants to identify their community needs and then become messengers who can clearly and impactfully advocate for those needs. The Academy includes nine sessions with topics like: Telling the Stories of Our Communities through its Assets, Using Data to Support Community Change Ideas, and How to Lead, Get Others to Join and Influencers to Listen.
Engaged Neighborhoods in Action
- The first Resident Leadership Academy cohort of 13 resident leaders in 2021-22, from the Ponderosa neighborhood, identified safe routes to school and housing as priorities for early learning and will-building.
- A second cohort of 10 residents in 2023, from the Paul Revere/Guinida Lane neighborhood, developed action plans focused on a clean and safe community.
- Residents from the Academy met with elected officials to present Early Development Index data and share their priorities and personal experiences to drive change.
- A third cohort is being planned in the Sunkist Elementary/Miraloma Park neighborhood.
Percentage of Children Ready for Kindergarten
Looking Ahead
Each of the Engaged Neighborhoods recently went through a process to identify their three-year dreams and plans for working with First 5 Orange County. Here are the dreams that Network Anaheim: Learn Well identified.
- Using Early Development Index data, increase systems connections to align services with community vulnerabilities.
- Make resources more accessible, with visibility, awareness, and clear paths to services for families.
- Grow the number of trusted messengers to increase access to resources and help families navigate the early childhood system.
- Create a trusted family center that is a one-stop center with all resources in one space.
- Engage more families in Anaheim around early childhood education.