The Early Childhood Initiative is one of the branches within the Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation.News 12's Erick Lind got a look at how the organization got a boost today to help the youth of tomorrow.51 different organizations gathered at the Owatonna Country Club today, all of them to help promote early childhood development.Every one of the representatives left with a way to help that development, whether it was with a new computer from IBM, or new books from Capstone Publishing out of Mankato.Mankato Early Childhood's Lynette Rohlfing says, "The Mankato public schools we really believe in reading and reading interventions, so it even begins at the infant and toddler age, so we're super excited to get this grant."From high tech to the most basic books the people that are gathering here today, are making sure that children in southern Minnesota will have as many opportunities as possible.S.M.I.F. President and CEO Tim Penny says, "We're not a huge player in this arena, but through our foundations funding, through our community dialogues, and though our partnerships with Capstone Publishing and IBM, we are trying to add to the quality of preschool programming in southern Minnesota."Capstone Publishers has supplied over 24,000 books through its Bookstart program.The organizations will use the books in their program or distribute them at early-literacy events.Butterfield-Odin received a Young Explorer computer in the past.Educators say it's been a wonderful addition.Butterfield-Odin employee Sherri Gustafson says, "The parents, when they come in, they feel comfortable sitting down with their child, and working on it with them. That's the one thing I thought was really neat."For the last five years the Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation has invested over 3.75 million dollars to early childhood education, and with programs like these, it will only continue to grow.In Owatonna, Erick Lind, News 12.