Tandem, Partners in Early Learning

Tandem, Partners in Early Learning® is a nonprofit working at the intersection of social justice and
early childhood education. We envision a just society where children thrive. Towards this vision, our mission is to co-create equitable, high-quality early learning experiences in partnership with the families, educators, and organizations that we serve. We know that investing in early learning is key to interrupting patterns of racial and economic exclusion and we prioritize work with communities disproportionately impacted by systemic oppression.


Through participating in Tandem’s early learning programs, children enjoy reading and learning while increasing their school readiness. Families engage in more frequent shared reading, talking, and singing while becoming more informed on how to support building children’s school readiness skills. Educators and family support professionals learn and use concrete strategies to boost children’s early brain development and kindergarten readiness skills, helping to build a community that is highly engaged in children’s development and early learning.

Tandem works alongside schools, childcare providers, and a variety of community-based organizations to design and implement high quality early learning experiences for children in the San Francisco Bay Area. We provide professional development for educators and nonprofit staff, engage families through workshops and play-and-learn groups, and distribute multilingual, multicultural books.

Since 2003, Tandem has provided training and resources for the adults who care for, educate, and raise over 120,000 children.

Tandem’s approach is unique and innovative because we address what children need by impacting the adults that care about their learning and development – at home, at school, and in the community. Our interventions are intentionally multi-generational. We don’t just work with traditional systems of education, because the majority of children 0-5 in California are not enrolled in formal early care and education. We collaborate with diverse organizations from child care and schools, to parks and libraries, to healthcare settings, housing developments and shelters, family resource centers, community centers, and more. Our goal is to provide high quality early learning experiences wherever children are.

Tandem’s Early Learning Specialists are highly qualified, with expertise in early childhood education, and fluent in English, Cantonese, and Spanish. They are trusted experts, and educators and families rely on them for up-to-date information on child development.

Finally, Tandem is uniquely positioned to create and aggregate multilingual resources that can be used by partner organizations, expanding our impact. Our book collection includes rigorously vetted titles in 21 languages. We provide activity guides that connect to books, keeping the learning going in alignment with the California State Preschool Learning Foundations. Rather than having each agency or classroom create their own content, Tandem distributes tens of thousands of books which link up to one of these activity guides as well as an online read aloud. This ultimately provides families with curated, high-quality resources through efficient and collaborative partnerships.

Through participating in Tandem’s early learning programs, children enjoy reading and learning while increasing their school readiness. Families engage in more frequent shared reading, talking, and singing while becoming more informed on how to support building children’s school readiness skills. Educators and family support professionals learn and use concrete strategies to boost children’s early brain development and kindergarten readiness skills, helping to build a community that is highly engaged in children’s development and early learning.

We are proud to see consistent, positive results of our programming. Through Tandem’s programming, we see the following outcomes:
1. Families:
(a) have greater access to high quality books and early learning materials
(b) strengthen knowledge about fostering children’s development
(c) understand how to implement research-based strategies
(d) have access to networks of social support to reinforce early learning practices

2. Educators:
(a) understand strategies for promoting high quality early learning experiences
(b) have the resources to apply these optimal strategies in their classrooms
(c) provide mutual support and inspiration

3. Education Ecosystem:
(a) Family-serving organizations support learning in-school and out-of-school.
(b) These organizations have the tools to support children’s learning and development.

Through these three levers, children build solid and holistic early learning foundations and are increasingly ready for successful educational journeys. At the same time, schools and educators are well-equipped to support all children through multilingual resources and strengths-based practices.