GEEARS Invites Families with Children Ages Zero to Five to Attend the Eighth Annual Strolling Thunder

By Jessica Woltjen, Senior Policy Manager for Early Education
The eighth annual Strolling Thunder is happening on February 6th at the Georgia capitol! At this powerful day of advocacy for family-friendly policies, GEEARS: Georgia Early Education Alliance for Ready Students convenes families from all over Georgia, helps them hone their messages, then provides them with the opportunity to speak directly with their elected officials. And when we say families, we mean all who love and care for young children—parents, grandparents and caregivers, child care providers and early educators, and most important, those young children, along with their strollers, diaper bags, sippie cups, and snacks.
Why include little ones in these conversations under the Gold Dome? It’s not just because kids are adorably attention-grabbing. Meeting their tiniest constituents—shaking their plump hands and looking into their big eyes—makes an indelible impression on legislators. When they’re considering critical issues like increasing child care funding, we know they’ll remember those precious encounters. That’s why GEEARS works so hard to make Strolling Thunder accessible for parents and fun for their children with the help of a DJ, noggin-friendly soft play spaces, and a photo booth with costumes that help kids dream big.
This year’s Strolling Thunder is a two-part event:
- The first part is a virtual training session. Here, participants learn what to expect during their day at the Georgia State Capitol. We’ll provide tips on how to share stories with legislators and advocate for programs and policies that could improve the lives of young children. There will be three identical trainings on Saturday, January 25th from 10:00-11:00 AM, Tuesday, January 28th from 7:30-8:30 PM, and Friday, January 31st from 12:00-1:00 PM. Participants only need to attend one training session.
- The second part will take place in person on Thursday, February 6th, from 8:00 AM – 1:00 PM. We’ll welcome families and their young children, expectant parents, and professionals who work in early education. During this fun-filled morning, our home base will be the Freight Room at the Georgia Freight Depot. We’ll be there for snacks and lunch, giveaways and resource-sharing, inclusive, kid-friendly entertainment, and more! The centerpiece of our day will happen when we cross the street to visit our legislators at the Capitol.
All who attend will receive a gift card for their participation (one per family).
Want to learn more? Check out this video recapping Strolling Thunder 2024. Once you get a taste of this event’s joy, its comradery, and most of all, its access to elected officials who truly want to hear your stories, we know you’ll be inspired to sign up and encourage your friends, neighbors, colleagues and others to do so as well. Click here to learn more and register!
It’s more urgent than ever that Georgia’s leaders support young children and their families. We hope you’ll join us in making your children’s potential Georgia’s priority.