Dream Big: Early Learning in Skagit County, WA

Title:  Early Learning in Skagit County

Duration: 7:38 minutes

Description: 

A look at the importance of early learning in Skagit County and Shell’s HERO program.

[Background music plays]

Soft instrumental music featuring synthesised musical effects

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Early Learning in Skagit County, WA

Shell Puget Sound Refinery

[Video footage]

Front-facing view of BC speaking straight into the camera. Behind her, the storefront of the Skagit Children’s Museum.

Interview with Brenna Clairr (BC) O’Tierney

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Brenna Clairr (BC) O’Tierney

External Relations Advisor,

Shell Puget Sound Refinery

[Title]

External Relations Advisor

BC O’Tierney

Hi, I’m BC, an external relations advisor at Shell’s Puget Sound Refinery in Skagit County, Washington. One of the best parts about my job is when I have a chance to connect with our community partners to find out more about some of the biggest challenges and opportunities facing Skagit County. I’ve heard a lot lately about the importance of early learning and the effect it has on our kids’ futures. So, join me on a journey to better understand the ins and outs of early learning.

[Video footage]

Zoom out showing the whole of the Children’s Museum storefront. Inside the store, zoom in on Colby Allen speaking and looking upwards at a yellow miniature model crane. Several black-and-white photographs have been stuck to its side. At the top of it, a black sign with white lettering reads Sicklesteel. Scene change to a conversation between BC and Colby. They are sat on low chairs on a small stage inside the Children’s Museum, red curtains to either side of them.

Interview with Colby Allen

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Colby Allen

Skagit County Parent

Colby Allen

I think one of the biggest misconceptions is that it’s, you know, something that’s really rigid and structured and, you know, you’re force-feeding down the kids and it’s not.

[Video footage]

Wide-angled view of Colby with his son beside him standing in front of the cabin of the crane. Inside the cabin is Allia, Colby’s wife, wearing a yellow helmet, her son beside her. On the front of the cabin is a black sign with white lettering reading Sicklesteel Cranes Inc. Quality Lifting Service Since 1937. Zoom in on the cabin. Back to the stage setting where BC is now sitting with Allia Allen.

Interview with Allia Allen

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Allia Allen

Skagit County Parent

Allie Allen

You know, I knew what early childhood education was and that it was important, but there was, there are so many aspects to it that I really had no idea.

[Video footage]

Wide-angled view of Allia, Colby and their two sons on a little model ship. Colby and one of the boys are wearing orange life vests. Zoom in on the family. Scene change a conversation between BC and Debra Lancaster in an office setting.

Interview with Debra Lancaster

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Debra Lancaster

Executive Director,

United Way of Skagit County

Debra Lancaster

None of us come into our childbearing years knowing exactly what to do. It’s not just that they need to know their numbers or know their colours; they need to be able to interact with other kids.

[Video footage]

Wide-angled side view of BC and Debra in an office setting. They are sat at a table facing each other, several bits of paper in front of them. Zoom out slightly, showing a wider view of the room. Scene change to a side-angled view of BC inside the Children’s Museum with three little girls standing by a table with plastic toys resembling vegetables and two blue baskets with white lettering reading Natural Market in front of them. Zoom in on an orange plastic basket filled with a maize toy being picked up by one of the girls. Side-angled view of two of the girls playing with the plastic food toys. Wide-angled shot of BC standing beside the small kitchen table where the two girls are playing, behind her some stairs and the base of the yellow crane cabin. BC starts to walk away. Scene change back to the stage setting where BC is now sitting with Cate Anderson.

Interview with Cate Anderson

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Cate Anderson

Executive Director,

Children’s Museum of Skagit County

Cate Anderson

The best way young children learn is through play, through experience. If kids are around mostly adults, they don’t really learn that peer-to-peer interaction and so when they get into kindergarten, for instance, that takes up their energy. It’s figuring out how to negotiate these social systems.

[Video footage]

Overhead view of BC at the small kitchen table with two of the girls. Behind the girls, a small red stove, refrigerator and sink. Zoom in slowly as the girls take some of the food toys out of their baskets while talking to BC. Scene change back to BC talking to Debra in the office setting.

Interview with Debra Lancaster continued

BC O’Tierney

How many kids are actually prepared for kindergarten here in Skagit County?

Debra Lancaster

Well, that’s kind of the scary part, only 40% are ready for kindergarten. Already we know that a third of the kids who are in third grade aren’t reading at grade level and that, interestingly enough, leads right into 30% of our kids aren’t graduating on time.

[Video footage]

Side view of BC and Debra talking in the office setting. Scene change back to the Children’s Museum. Side view of BC and two girls playing in the kitchen.  Behind them, the stage with the two chairs where BC was sitting earlier. Wide shot zooming out of several parents and their kids in the Children’s Museum. At the back, Colby Allen is looking up at the crane model. To the right, a man and his daughter are playing with a small model. Beside them, an upright black bear in a white tee and hat. Allie Allen, carrying her son, walks past the bear. Scene change back to BC talking to Debra in the office setting.

Interview with Cate Anderson continued

Cate Anderson

The best predictor of high school graduation rate is third grade reading skills. The best predictor of third grade reading skills is vocabulary at ages two and three.

[Video footage]

Close-up of two girls playing with the food toys at the small kitchen table. Scene change back to the stage with BC and Cate. Close-up of one of Allie Allen’s sons playing in a small wooden playground. Scene change to a shot of the outside of the United Way office, a white building with a tree and some small bushes in front of it.  Above the windows a sign reads United Way, a logo, United Way of Skagit County, Give, Advocate, Volunteer in blue lettering on a white background. Zoom in through the tree towards the door, back to BC and Debra talking in the office setting.          

Interview with Debra Lancaster continued

BC O’Tierney

Why has United Way taken this on? Why early learning?

Debra Lancaster

We really wanted to get at the root cause and when we really dug down deep, we realised the best way to really solve some basic problems is to start early.

[Video footage]

Side view of a courthouse, trees on both sides, a white bus driving past the shot. Zoom out of a small wall by the courthouse, text written across it reading 201 Skagit County Community Justice Center. Zoom upwards, showing part of the building’s windows set against a blue sky. Wide-angled shot panning right showing the whole building. Scene change to a reverse-angled shot of BC and Charlie Wend walking through double doors into a long hallway. Shot of BC and Charlie sat at a table inside the Justice Center.

Interview with Charlie Wend

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Charlie Wend

Chief of Corrections,

Skagit County Sherriff’s Office

Charlie Wend

My wife taught special ed for 37 years. We would talk about kids and kids she would have in class heading in my direction as adults, and certainly that was the case, and it’s just become more and more clear to me, and the research supports that as well, that if you’re not reaching kids by the time they’re three, that very important birth of three range, you’ve got patterns already pre-set that are very hard to change.  

[Video footage]

Side view of BC and Charlie panning right standing in front of the doorway to an empty classroom. BC looks over at a poster. Zoom in on a poster titled Programs with graphics and text displayed below.

[Graphic]

Did You Know?

Inmates with adult basic education, GED prep, or vocational training had a 13% reduction in re-incarceration.

Inmates with post-secondary education programs (college programs) had a 16% reduction in re-incarceration.

2016 RSAT Program Statistics (Residential Substance Abuse Treatment)

160 inmates participated    44 inmates graduated

Charlie Wend

Once upon a time [unclear] the inmates and then it was the inmates’ kids and now it’s their grandkids, and I can tell you that without interrupting that generational element of what happens in criminal behaviour we just see that generational pass from parent to child to grandchild, and so the behaviours keep repeating themselves and so we really need to reach out, reach those kids before they’re lost to us.

[Video footage]

Shot panning right of BC and Charlie inside a dark room overlooking the common area they were in before. There’s a female guard in front of them looking at several screens. Pan right to a male guard, many screens in front of him. 360-degree shot of BC and Charlie talking in a hallway, cells all around them. Back to shot of BC and Charlie sat at a table inside the Justice Center.

Interview with Debra Lancaster continued

BC O’Tierney

But why now? Why is there such a focus on early learning when this has been, it sounds like, an issue for a long time?

Debra Lancaster

I think it’s because of that return on investment. Businesses are really seeing what it’s costing them to teach what we say are soft skills in the workplace. One dollar in early learning equals seven dollars once they get into the school district.

[Video footage]

Side view of BC and Debra talking in an office setting. Shot moving down the high street in Skagit, cars parked on both sides. Shot of Debra holding documents and a man talking. Side shot of Debra standing by a computer screen talking to a man wearing a grey baseball cap and a blue tee with Live United in white lettering on the front. Scene change back to BC talking to Debra in the office setting.

Debra Lancaster

Kids that are ready for kindergarten need less and less of that remedial help. We are saving millions of dollars in school education and we’re saving those kids the heartache. We’re saving their families the heartache of not being ready.

[Video footage]

A sequence of shots driving past a small building with trees, kids playing outside, then past a larger red and white building, Lincoln School. Scene change back to BC talking to Debra in the office setting. Wide-angled shot panning left showing a road leading to Puget Sound Refinery, the refinery in the background. To the left, a red brick building, a white sign with the Shell pecten logo, and a pick-up truck parked outside. Scene change back to BC talking to Debra in the office setting.

BC O’Tierney

I know many employees give to United Way and are really passionate about this cause. Talk to me a little bit about that, maybe the history there.

Debra Lancaster

There’s been a Shell employee on our board since 1963.

BC O’Tierney

Wow.

[Video footage]

Zooming in slowly on part of the red brick building at the Shell site. Pan upwards. Scene change to interview location with Shirley Yap inside the building. Behind her, floor to ceiling windows. Through the windows a white sign with the Shell pecten logo with black text reading Shell Puget Sound Refinery and a full carpark.

Interview with Shirley Yap

[Text displays]

Shirley Yap

General Manager,

Shell Puget Sound Refinery

Shirley Yap

Our vision matches very well with the United Way vision and it particularly is about early learning. So our vision is to proudly fuel life in the Pacific Northwest and we’re very lucky to be part of this community and so to be a [unclear] refinery is all about living with the community, support our community and be part of it, and which comes back to why giving is so important.  

[Video footage]

Close-up of Shirley speaking to off-screen interviewer. Overhead shot of a bay area panning left. Back to close-up of Shirley speaking to off-screen interviewer.

Interview with Sean Cornett

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Sean Cornett

Production Excellence Manager

Shell Puget Sound Refinery

Sean Cornett

We employ a lot of folks from the community, we’re part of the lives of the community and I think it’s important that we help give back and nourish the community.  I think anybody who gives back, it’s a choice they need to make, whether it’s a monetary give, a time give, whatever it may be. Here at Shell I really like the HERO programme; I think it gives folks an extra boost.

[Video footage]

Close-up of Sean speaking to off-screen interviewer in a hallway. Scene change to a booth outside for an event. Several people dressed in Shell tees are standing in the booth. Close-up of the back of an inflatable HERO doll in an outside setting. On the back of his red tee, white text reading Shell Emergency Response. Pan left in slow motion showing people walking down the high street. Pan left further showing the high street filled with people. Close-up of the inflatable HERO doll, kids interacting with it. Scene change back to close-up of Shirley speaking to off-screen interviewer.

Interview with Shirley Yap continued

Shirley Yap

Well, HERO stands for Helping Employee to Reach Out and for the month of September, the first half of September, Shell will actually match two for one. So if you give $100, Shell will pay $200 on top of it.

[Video footage]

Shot panning left through the branches of a tree showing the outside of the building where Shirley was interviewed. Shot taken inside the building, looking through the windows briefly to show part of the refinery outside, then panning left down the hallway where Sean was interviewed. Scene change back to BC talking to Debra in the office setting.

Interview with Debra Lancaster continued

Debra Lancaster

A place like Shell PSR that not only allows us to come in and talk to employees and yet, and also encourages those employees to give and matches their gift, wow, that’s a win for us all the way around.

[Video footage]

Shot moving down the right side of a road over a bridge. In the distance, a water tower and some buildings. Shot taken inside a vehicle showing part of a building, trees and a bridge in the distance. Shot panning right showing several houses and trees, a water tower rising up behind them, set against a blue sky. Scene change back to BC talking to Cate on the small stage in the Children’s Museum.

Interview with Cate Anderson continued

BC O’Tierney

You can imagine Skagit County, a place where every kid has access to early learning, what would the county look like?

Cate Anderson

It would be an amazing thing and I get excited about, for those kids, for those families, for those teachers, because then they’re not dealing with trying to catch kids up.

Interview with Debra Lancaster continued

Debra Lancaster

The department of early learning for the state of Washington has a goal of 90% of kids ready to learn for kindergarten by 2020. United Way is looking at it, you know, all kids should be ready to learn.

[Video footage]

Side view of BC and Debra talking in the office setting. Shot of a toddler sitting on a lawn smiling with several toys around him. To the right of him, a grey cat.

Interview with Charlie Wend continued

Charlie Wend

Probably the number one barrier is identification. How do you find these kids that are out there? You know, we do a pretty good job once they hit elementary school, then we start seeing them as kindergartners, as first graders.

[Video footage]

Slow moving shot panning right of BC and Charlie talking in the cafeteria at the Justice Center. Back to shot of BC and Charlie talking, sat at a table.

Interview with Debra Lancaster continued

Debra Lancaster

There are so many resources right now that are available, but we know that huge numbers of the parents aren’t even aware of them. That’s the piece where we really want to reach out to parents.

[Video footage]

Wide-angled view panning right of a large playroom. To the left, a couch and small table. Panning right, a ping-pong table, several toys, and towards the ceiling all around the room a toy train track with train wagons. Scene change back to BC talking to Debra in the office setting. Close-up of a pair of hands moving sand around in a large box in the form of a mountain crater. Ultraviolet light is projected onto it or from underneath to resemble water around the mountain. Scene change back to BC and Cate on the small stage at the Children’s Museum.

Interview with Cate Anderson continued

Cate Anderson

I got a call, I think it was about a year ago, you know, can I just get a membership? I’ve got a family with four kids and they’re living in their car, and this would give them a place to go and to be during the day. But I think that’s what’s exciting, is it just feels like there’s more momentum between agencies.

[Video footage]

Zoom in on a play room area inside the Children’s Museum. There’s a small playground, a dollhouse, a couch and small coffee table, and various toys. Back to shot of BC and Cate talking.

Interview with Debra Lancaster continued

Debra Lancaster

Every school district in Skagit County, every public library, Head Start, Skagit Valley College, Children’s Museum, we are all working together, aligning our efforts.

[Video footage]

Sequence of moving shots taken through foliage showing a road leading to a library, then the carpark and buildings of Skagit Valley College. Shot entering the Children’s Museum with Cate waving. Zoom in further as Cate starts to walk away. Scene change to a shot of a road with a stone structure reading Maiben City Park, trees behind it. Scene change back to BC and Debra in the office setting.

BC O’Tierney

If you could give one final message to Shell employees as we approach this double match period for our HERO employee giving campaign, what would you tell them?

Debra Lancaster

That all this time that they’ve been giving has made a real difference in people’s lives and now it’s going to make even more of a difference. Now being able to help kids and being able to help parents be the first and enduring teacher, they’re changing lives. They are changing the future of Skagit County and you’re going to see that difference right away and you’re going to really see it in 20 years.

[Video footage]

Zoom in on Cate pointing towards a play area at the Children’s Museum. Zoom in on a sand box filled with toys. Shot of Cate pointing towards a dentist’s chair with a stuffed toy. Pan left, various educational posters about dental health on the walls. Shot panning upwards of the toy kitchen and model crane we saw earlier. Shot of Allie Allen’s son running down the small playground slide as Allie catches him and spins him around. Scene change back to BC and Debra talking in the office setting.

BC O’Tierney

If there’s one thing I’ve learned today it’s that achieving early learning success plays a key role in ensuring Skagit County kids across all backgrounds have the opportunity to dream big and realise their full potential. Most important, it’ll take all of us working together to make that a reality.

[Video footage]

Front-facing view of BC speaking straight into the camera. Behind her, the storefront of the Skagit Children’s Museum. Moving shot showing trees and a water tower set against a blue sky. Back to BC at the Children’s Museum. Red text appearing against a white background.

[Text displays]

Shell Puget Sound Refinery employees support nearly 120 nonprofits, including United Way.

Shell’s HERO campaign helps fuel this passion for powering progress in the community.

[Graphic]

Everyday Heroes

Take advantage of the Double Your Dollars promotion.

HERO (Helping Employees Reach Out) is a year-round program where Shell recognizes every day heroes like you by matching your personal contributions to qualified non-profit charities.

Take advantage of the HERO 2017 Double Your Dollars promotion September 1 through September 15 to double your donation match. * Shell employees can sign up now for the convenient payroll deduction option and the first paycheck deduction isn’t until January 2018.

HERO

To learn more, visit easymatch.com/HERO

As always, giving is a personal and voluntary choice.

[Text displays]

Thank you to everyone who made this video possible!

www.UnitedWaySkagit.org

www.SkagitChildrensMuseum.net

www.SkagitCounty.net/Departments/Jail

www.ReLifeMedia.com

[Audio]

Shell jingle

[Graphic]

Shell Pecten centred on a white background