Ready to Grow: Building Stronger Preschools Together!

Hard work, dedication, and success! Ready to Grow 2024 graduates celebrate.

SVP Portland’s Ready to Grow Cohort brought together a dedicated group of preschool providers for a five-month journey of learning, mentorship, and community building. Designed to help early learning leaders expand their programs and deepen their impact, the cohort focused on essential topics such as finance, leadership, marketing, grant writing, and compliance—all within a supportive, collaborative space.

Through weekly workshops and one-on-one coaching, participants gained invaluable skills to strengthen their preschools. For many, the program transformed how they manage their operations. As one participant reflected:

"I used to treat my four businesses as one, unaware of their individual financial health. Now, I have a financial advisor and separate accounts for each business."

Beyond practical skills, Ready to Grow fostered meaningful connections among providers, mentors, and experts. One attendee shared,

"The program effectively connected participants with relevant resources, particularly through the willingness of presenters and cohort members to share information and personal experiences."

On February 7th, we came together to celebrate the cohort’s graduation, honoring the hard work and dedication of each participant. This special evening showcased their achievements, with inspiring capstone presentations, heartfelt reflections, and a collective commitment to strengthening early learning in our communities.

As we celebrate this year’s incredible graduates, we're pleased to announce Ready to Grow 2025. We have conducted in-depth interviews and assessments of the pilot session, and will be incorporating key learnings and improvements into the next session. We encourage anyone interested in learning more or getting engaged to talk to us. Stay tuned for more details on how we’ll continue building a stronger, more equitable early learning ecosystem—together.