Funding Opportunities
Spring Regional Funding Opportunity
Investing in Local Ideas. Strengthening Families. Supporting Children.
Four Rivers Family Early Learning & Parenting Hub is proud to invest approximately $36,000 in local programs and projects supporting young children and families across Gilliam, Hood River, Sherman, Wasco, and Wheeler counties.
Through our 2026 Spring Regional Funding Opportunity (RFO), eight projects were selected to receive funding for work focused on parent education, family engagement, early literacy, family transitions, culturally responsive parenting support, and perinatal well-being.
These local organizations are bringing innovative ideas and community-driven solutions to families across our region.
2026 Spring RFO Award Recipients
• Sherman County Prevention — Sherman Prevention Parenting
• Hood River County EI/ECSE Program — Literacy Night
• Hood River County EI/ECSE Program — Kindergarten Transition Night
• Columbia Gorge STEM Hub — Unplug & Play: Parent Education and Screen-Free Activity Boxes
• Mid Valley Elementary – Hood River County School District — Pampers to Preschool to Pumas!
• Mid-Columbia Children’s Council, Inc. — Father & Male Caregiver Leadership Advisory Collaborative
• Community Enrichment for Klickitat and Skamania Counties — Wasco County Perinatal Support Groups
• Columbia Gorge ESD Department of Education and Innovation — CGESD Positive Indian Parenting Facilitator Training
Supporting What Families Need
The Spring RFO prioritizes projects that strengthen the early learning system and create meaningful opportunities for children and families. Funded projects reflect a range of community needs — from building early literacy skills and supporting kindergarten transitions to engaging fathers and male caregivers, providing perinatal support, strengthening culturally responsive parenting practices, and creating opportunities for families to connect and play.
Together, these projects demonstrate the power of local organizations working alongside families and communities to create stronger supports for young children.
$36,000. Eight Projects. One Shared Goal.
We’re proud to support the organizations and community partners working every day to help children and families thrive across our five-county region.
Thank you to all of the organizations that applied and shared their ideas with us. We look forward to seeing these projects take root and make a difference for families throughout the region.
Funding for the 2026 Spring RFO is supported through investments from the Oregon Department of Early Learning and Care (DELC), Oregon Department of Human Services (ODHS), and private partners including Oregon Community Foundation.
Questions: Send to SSkybinskyy@cgesd.k12.or.us with “Question: Spring 2026 RFO” in the subject line.
Four Rivers Early Learning and Parenting Hub Announces Arlington and Mid Valley as Winners of Rural Academy Pilot Project
THE DALLES, OR — The Four Rivers Early Learning and Parenting Hub (4RELH), in partnership with Children’s Institute and the Columbia Regional Educator Network, is proud to announce that Arlington School District and Mid Valley Elementary (Hood River County School District) have been selected as the inaugural participants for the P3 Leadership: Rural Academy Pilot Project (RAPP).
The RAPP initiative is designed to strengthen the "P3" system—the critical educational bridge from Pre-Kindergarten through 3rd Grade. By fostering deep collaboration between K-12 school districts and early learning providers, the project aims to create a seamless continuum of support for children during their most foundational years of development.
“We are thrilled to partner with Arlington and Mid Valley on this pilot,” said Shira Skybinskyy, Director at Four Rivers Early Learning and Parenting Hub. “A P3 alignment approach isn't just about academics; it's about building a sense of belonging and ensuring that every child—especially those with complex lived experiences—is met with responsive practices and a supportive community from day one.”
Strengthening the Foundation
The selected teams will participate in a specialized Leadership Academy beginning June 1. This program provides professional learning and technical assistance focused on:
Alignment: Coordinating foundational early learning skills with K-12 standards.
Belonging: Implementing child-wellbeing practices that reduce challenging behaviors and ease school transitions.
Family Engagement: Building early trust between home and school to meet ODE community partnership guidelines.
Commitment to Rural Excellence
Arlington School District and Mid Valley Elementary were chosen for their vision and dedication to regional equity. Through this pilot, they will help lead the way in showing how rural communities can leverage collective impact to ensure all children arrive at kindergarten ready to thrive and remain supported through the third grade.
Please email SSkybinskyy@cgesd.k12.or.us if you have questions about this opportunity or the application process.
P3 Leadership:Rural Academy Pilot Project (RAPP)
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