[DONATE to NMCAA] This episode of The Collective Us focuses on the power of preschool through the voices of NMCAA staff, a teacher, and parents. Hosts Erica Austin and Ryan Buck speak with Mistie Watson, an Education Coach, and Alex Beilfuss, a GSRP teacher, about how NMCAA preschool programs support children, families, and the broader community.

The conversation highlights that preschool is about far more than basic academics. Alex and Mistie explain that early childhood is a critical period for brain development, emotional regulation, social skills, creativity, and problem solving. They describe how classrooms are intentionally designed to help children feel safe, build confidence, learn routines, and prepare for kindergarten through both structured support and play-based learning.

A major theme is that NMCAA’s preschool approach is individualized and relationship-centered. Teachers use tools like the Creative Curriculum and GOLD assessment to understand each child’s developmental progress and tailor lessons to their interests and needs. Examples include dinosaur studies, owl pellet dissections, art shows, field trip prep, and hands-on science activities that show preschoolers can handle rich, advanced concepts when learning is engaging and developmentally appropriate.

The episode also emphasizes the importance of family engagement. Parents share how preschool has helped their children grow socially and emotionally, while staff discuss home visits, family workshops, behavior support, and regular communication with caregivers. Preschool is presented as a partnership where parents are recognized as a child’s first and most important teacher.

The guests stress that preschool should never be seen as babysitting. Instead, it is described as intentional teaching that builds the foundation for lifelong learning, creativity, resilience, and success in school. The episode closes with encouragement for families to enroll, especially since Michigan’s GSRP program no longer requires income eligibility, expanding access to more children.

[DONATE to NMCAA] The Collective Us: An NMCAA Podcast Episode 67, “Moments that Mattered,” reflects on the most meaningful conversations of 2025, highlighting how NMCAA’s work strengthens families and communities through early support, stable housing, strong partnerships, and a culture of care. Erica Austin and Ryan Buck revisit powerful moments from parents, partners, staff, board members, and community leaders that show how stability begins long before crisis, how asking for help takes courage, and how housing, dignity, and trust create the foundation for long-term success. The episode connects personal stories to measurable impact through data and reporting, celebrates staff milestones and everyday leadership, emphasizes the importance of advocacy and staff wellness, and explores legacy giving as a way to sustain the work into the future. Together, these moments underscore that NMCAA’s impact is collective and ongoing—driven by people showing up for one another and working together to make lasting change as the organization moves into 2026.

[DONATE to NMCAA] The episode of The Collective US focuses on NMCAA’s new Gift Guide, a way for donors to support community members through three core “buckets”: Educational Opportunities, Housing Support, and Economic Stability. Erica Austin, Ryan Buck, and guest Melissa Thompson explain that while gifts are framed as things like safety items for families, classroom supplies, home repairs, or Meals on Wheels support, the money actually goes toward flexible funding that fills gaps federal and state dollars can’t cover. They tie the guide to NMCAA’s Cornerstones of Culture—respect, accountability, acceptance, compassion, and cooperation—and show how giving moves people from being “them” to part of the “us.”

Throughout the episode, they share stories and sound bites from staff, clients, and volunteers that illustrate impact: helping a single mom repair an ice-damaged mobile home, supporting a client named Larry from apartment to homeownership and then crucial repairs, delivering 187,000+ meals to seniors, and the deep personal connections Meals on Wheels drivers and other volunteers build. They emphasize that any level of giving—one-time, recurring, matched, or legacy—creates life-changing opportunities and invite listeners to donate, volunteer, and see themselves as part of the broader community action network.