Listening to the Workforce: No Small Matter Film Screening

and Discussion

From the outset, commission members asked to hear directly from those who work with children from birth through Grade 3 in communities across Nebraska. Building on the success of the Workforce Survey panel discussion held in September 2017, which elevated the voices of early childhood professionals, the Institute added representatives from the early childhood workforce to the commission. Next, to accelerate the conversation with early childhood professionals across the state, the Institute partnered with the Nebraska Association for the Education of Young Children, Nebraska Extension Learning Child team, and Nebraska Department of Education Early Learning Connection Coordinators to host screenings of the film No Small Matter, beginning in early 2019. The feature-length documentary explores the “overwhelming evidence for the importance of the first five years and reveals how our failure to act on that evidence has resulted in an everyday crisis for American families and a slowmotion catastrophe for the country.”135 Following the film’s screening, local event organizers facilitated discussions with early childhood professionals. Intended to be an entry point to deeper discussions about the issues facing early care and education professionals every day, the screening events were a tremendous success. Over 35 events were held across the state and nearly 2,000 Nebraskans in more than 200 communities watched the film and