The Imagine Institute’s mission has always been to provide grassroots professional development opportunities to early care and education professionals throughout Washington State. Their success is our success- it’s what motivates our team to give their best each and every day.

On this International Women’s Day, we look back at the courageous women who pushed to enact change for child care workers. The tireless efforts by organizations including SEIU 925 led to higher pay, improved working conditions, and better benefits for thousands of workers, but perhaps their biggest strides were made in gaining recognition of the essential importance of their profession.

Recently, Independent Lens released a documentary charting the rise of the 9to5 movement that ultimately led to the creation of the Imagine Institute. The familiar faces featured in this film continue to inspire our work today. We encourage you to stream the fantastic 9to5: The Story of a Movement and join us in saluting those women who fought for the rights of child care workers.

The road ahead is still long, but Imagine is committed to walking it together.

9to5: The Story of a Movement