Best Beginnings

10/14/2026

We are so thrilled to see 100% Communities Anchorage moving forward as a Leadership Anchorage project.

Championed by our Executive Director, Amie Collins, and Amy Simpson, Executive Director of Programs for Infants and Children in their role as co-chairs of the Anchorage Early Childhood Coalition.

Their commitment to work alongside this project team and Alaska Impact Alliance to improve the accessibility of vital services so residents can survive and thrive is going to make a world of difference for families. And is just one of the many ways we’re working to build better systems in service of our community and its needs. ❤️

Each Leadership Anchorage cohort volunteers more than 1,800 hours to Anchorage nonprofits through their Community Impact Projects.

Last weekend, participants selected their six projects for this year:
➡The Cost of Safety: Removing Financial Barriers to Leaving Domestic Violence (AWAIC)
➡ Matchmakers for Good: Launching a Volunteer Database (Alaska Community Foundation)
➡ Launching 100% Communities Anchorage (Alaska Impact Alliance & Anchorage Early Childhood Coalition)
➡ Alaska Long Trail User Data Analysis (Alaska Trails)
➡ Creating the Framework for a Healthy Media Diet for Alaska's Youth (Journalism and Public Communications at UAA)
➡ Childcare & Early Education Community Insights Project (Anchorage Childcare & Early Education Fund)

10/05/2026

We’re still dreaming in Dolly pink 💖 thank you to Refuge Coffee Collaboration for hosting our tribute party and everyone who came out to support Imagination Library in Alaska.

Across our state over $10,000 was raised in Dolly’s memory to put more books in the hands of children. 📚 🙏🏻

10/02/2026

Ready to turn your experience into action? 💗

FELT (Family Engagement & Leadership Training) is a FREE, self-paced, paid training for Alaska parents and family members who want to make a difference.

✨ Just 15-minute modules that fit your schedule
🎓 Build advocacy, leadership & policy skills
🤝 Connect with other family leaders
💳 Earn a $200 gift card when you graduate

Whether you're advocating for your own child or helping improve systems for all Alaska families, this is your chance to strengthen your voice and create change.

Learn more here:

🔗 https://a2p2.org/help-me-grow-alaska/felt/

10/01/2026

Dear Workshop Friends,

I'm experiencing a rollercoaster of emotions as I share plans for a new chapter at The Workshop. In 2027, our goal is to transition leadership from The Workshop’s board to our partnering non-profit Best Beginnings. The decision to do this was not taken lightly, and we believe that it is what is best for The Workshop's community sustainability and growth. I, The Workshop's founder & director, must make my exit from The Workshop regardless, for personal hardship reasons. Before I leave in 2027, my primary goal and hope has been to ensure the future of our community will be nurtured, rather than dissolved.

As we work toward this transition, Best Beginnings hopes to preserve many of the programs and services you know and love, including our free craft programming, homeschool support, and most loved annual events. Above all, our most important priority is keeping our community lounge and play area free and accessible—a welcoming place for families to gather, connect, and grow.

Best Beginnings hopes to introduce gradual updates with an emphasis on literacy support, helping The Workshop evolve from a general family community center into a family literacy center. They hope to build on the community we’ve already created, bringing new opportunities for learning into our familiar space while maintaining the culture of connection we all know and love at The Workshop.

Your steady support means so much during this transition, as The Workshop will have continued costs of building rent, utilities, and supplies during the transition months. By continuing to donate, volunteer, attend events, and simply spend time here, you help sustain our programs and free community space as we welcome Best Beginnings in the most seamless way we possibly can.

Please keep coming in to play, learn, and grow together! We’ll share updates as plans take shape, and we’re grateful to have you alongside us for this next chapter.

Please feel free to reach out to me directly with questions, comments, or concerns on my personal email address: [email protected]

With deep gratitude,
LeeAnna Chronister
Founder & Executive Director
The Workshop Community Center

09/30/2026

Join us tomorrow as our Executive Director, Amie Collins, shares her perspective in a panel on Challenges Facing the PreK-12 Education System in Alaska.

Buy Tickets Alaska’s future is shaped by informed dialogue, civic engagement, and the leaders who step forward to serve. The 2026 CBPP Showcase invites community members, policy makers, students, staff, and faculty to engage in meaningful conversations about the issues shaping Alaska’s future. J...

09/29/2026

This Sunday is PIC-a-Truck 🚛🚒🚙
We can’t wait to see you there!

Mark your 🗓️ for PIC-A-Truck!

Whether you have a kid (or kid at heart) who wants to explore ALL the trucks, PIC-A-Truck is the place to be. There'll be graders and police cars and fire trucks and dump trucks and more for children to tour, plus community resource booths and family-friendly games and activities

This annual event doubles as a diaper drive for the PIC Diaper Pantry, which distributes diapers to Anchorage families twice a month. Donations are NOT required to attend this FREE event, but we will be accepting diapers in all sizes (4, 5 & 6 are our most pressing need) if you're able to contribute.

It's all happening Sunday, October 4 from 2pm-5pm at Clark Middle School. Visit the link below to reserve your spot. We can't wait to see you!

bit.ly/PIC-A-Truck-2026

09/26/2026

👏 💖 📚

09/25/2026

Gettin’ pretty in pink with Dolly 💖

Come down to Refuge Coffee from 5-8 PM for A Dolly Good Time! Karaoke, trivia, door prizes and more.

$10 cover charge benefits Imagination Library in Alaska so we can put more books in the hands of kids and keep Dolly’s dream alive 📚

Shoutout to John Fernandez for booking us up with amazing sound to make all your karaoke rhinestone dreams come true.

09/25/2026

Today is 9-to-5 day – Get it? 9/25! And
we’re celebrating all the exciting work happening in
communities across the state.

This month and every month, Best Beginnings joins
our fellow champions working to bring the gift of
monthly books to Alaska’s littlest learners.

Do you know if your community has Dolly Parton’s
Imagination Library? Find out or enroll a little reader here:
www.imaginationlibrary.com

09/25/2026

Our Board Chair, Cheri Lipps, stopped by our friends at Kindred Spirits Coffee this morning to get her Cup of Ambition!

Did you start your morning with one? ☕️

Swing by anytime this weekend to join in the Dolly Day fun and you too can help us grow more readers in Alaska. 📚💖