Amplifying the Story of Early Care: The Nurturing Project
By: Hadassah Moore | Project Coordinator, First Things First Porter County
As First Things First Porter County (FTF) continues to rewrite the story for early beginnings in Porter County, a new partnership emerges. Teaming up with City Rising, a social impact studio based in Indianapolis, FTF launches “The Nurturing Project,” an ecosystem design project to be executed through collaborative story telling. Aligning with FTF’s framework of collective impact, this initiative highlights partners who are working across sectors and silos to tackle complex issues together. Collective impact is a coordinated effort where each voice matters, each story adds depth, and each organization plays a part in designing and cultivating a community where families and very young children can thrive.
“The Nurturing Project” will feature stories from eight of last year’s Collaboration Challenge Grant recipients whose work is actively changing the prenatal – age 3 ecosystem of care in Porter County. Ranging from healthcare providers to recovery specialists, Challenge Grantees will be coached by City Rising in strategies for impactful storytelling, collective impact work, and culture change. Ultimately, “The Nurturing Project” will further develop a culture of prioritizing early care in the community—one of nurturance toward infants, their pregnant mothers, and early-stage parents.
The cohort of eight teams will meet throughout the summer as a learning community to author their stories under the direction of City Rising. “The Nurturing Project” stories will debut on August 19, 2025, at First Thing First’s 4th annual Camp Collaboration—a gathering of thirty community organizations to share insights, foster collective impact, and increase teamwork across sectors.
Through this increased awareness effort and valuable work of community partners, Porter County will become more empowered to ensure every child has a healthy, thriving start to life through a seamless connection with the prenatal – age 3 ecosystem that prioritizes brain development, language, & early relational health. The summer 2025 Nurturing Project learning community consists of the following, whose Collaboration Challenge projects can be explored further at www.firstthingspc.org/camp.
Duneland Family YMCA
Duneland School Corporation Early Learning HUB
Mental Health America of Lake County Inc, DBA – MHA of Northwest Indiana
Parents as Teachers of Porter County
Portage Township YMCA
Porter-Starke Services, Inc.
Powers Health – St. Mary Medical Center
Three20 Recovery