Durham Mayor Joins The Hunt Institute’s Inaugural Early Learning Nation Fellowship

City of Durham Mayor Leonardo Williams has been selected to participate in the inaugural cohort of The Hunt Institute's Early Learning Nation (ELN) Fellowship.

The ELN Fellowship is a prestigious, invitation-only program designed to support local elected officials who are committed to establishing their communities as national leaders in early childhood education. This fellowship was founded on the belief that all young children deserve a great start in life, and this critical goal can be met only if local leaders are at the center of the work. This inaugural cohort of fellows will include more than 100 mayors, school board members, city councilmembers, county commissioners, and other elected stakeholders from across the country.

"As a former educator and administrator, I am honored to join a cohort of leaders invested in improving education outcomes for our youth," said Mayor Williams. "My participation in this program will better prepare me to address the needs of children in Durham and inform me on best practices in early childhood education."

The Hunt Institute, an affiliate of the Duke University Sanford School of Public Policy, was founded by four-term North Carolina Governor Jim Hunt in 2001, and brings together people and resources to inspire and inform elected officials and policymakers about key issues in education, resulting in visionary leaders who are prepared to take strategic action for greater educational outcomes and student success.

"The early childhood landscape can be complex, especially at the local level, and I'm pleased to see so many locally elected officials from across the country come together to focus on investing time in this area," said The Hunt Institute's President & CEO Dr. Javaid Siddiqi. "Equipping policymakers with access to research and national experts is an essential step in building stronger early childhood systems."

The ELN Fellows' first meeting, held on August 22, was conducted virtually and included a review of the program's structure and goals and time to share initial thoughts on the kinds of local action that will make a difference in the early childhood landscape in their communities. The cohort held its second in-person meeting in Las Vegas, Nevada, on September 4, where ELN Fellows engaged with one another to learn more about how to navigate local policies that impact early childhood issues. ELN Fellows also joined colleagues, including senior-level state elected officials, gubernatorial staff, and key early childhood system leaders from their home states, at The Hunt Institute's Early Childhood Leadership Summit held from September 4-6.