The South Coast Regional Early Learning Hub has allocated $180,238 to regional schools and programs through Kindergarten Partnership and Innovation grants. The grants will fund various projects that will support children in our community as they prepare for the transition into kindergarten. “This investment in our local schools and communities will help improve our area youth’s ability to be ready to learn when they enter the kindergarten classroom on day one,” said Gerry Livingston, SCREL Director. Throughout Oregon, most children do not attend preschool. A 2013 report from the Kids COUNT Data Center found that 60% of preschool-aged children in Oregon do not attend any kind of preschool. Affordability and access are the primary reasons that children do not have this opportunity. Children who do not have preschool experiences are less likely to enter kindergarten with the social skills and self-regulation needed to be ready to learn. To address this need, a number of school districts are offering free public pre-K programs, including Powers and Myrtle Point, whose pre-K programs are supported by Kindergarten Partnership and Innovation grants. Another creative approach to kindergarten readiness is to provide summer transition programs to build students’ familiarity with learning environments and expectations. Through the Kindergarten Partnership and Innovation grants, SCREL is funding three summer programs, including the following, all of which are currently open for enrollment: • Splash into Kindergarten, a collaboration between North Bend and Coos Bay School Districts and Head Start, consists of four four-week summer sessions for children who have not had previous early learning experiences, a parent education component, and a resource fair for families. • Ready Set Learn, a collaboration between Port Orford – Langlois School District and Head Start, consists of a K-transition summer class, a series of family education events throughout the year, and staff professional development. Children from Bandon and Gold Beach are also invited to register. • Reedsport School District and Great Afternoons will partner to provide a two-week “Bootcamp” for children and their families to prepare them for kindergarten. The Kindergarten Partnership and Innovation grants are also funding the extension of SMART’s reading program into Head Start classrooms in Brookings, Coos Bay, Bandon and Coquille; curriculum kits and accompanying trainings coordinated by Care Connections Childcare Resource and Referral at public libraries for the use of parents and childcare providers; and “Connect the Dots,” a family support program through South Coast Family Harbor, Madison School, and Pathways to Positive Parenting. The South Coast Regional Early Learning Hub supports children and families as they learn and grow through quality opportunities and community partnerships. For more information, including enrollment contacts, please call Gerry Livingston, Director, at (541) 435-7751.
