Three Northwest Indiana early education providers will receive thousands of dollars in funding to assist in students’ transition to K-12 learning.
The School City of Hobart’s Building Brickies Program, the Portage Township YMCA and the United Way of Porter County will each be awarded between $5,000 and $25,000 from Early Learning Indiana’s Preschool Development Grant.
The three programs were chosen among 55 entries representing school districts, early learning providers and community nonprofits in 24 Indiana counties for their innovative programming designed to support early learners in their first kindergarten experience, according to an Early Learning Indiana news release.
Six other programs across the state were selected in the organization’s Strong Start for Kindergarten Prize competition, providing a $100,000 total investment in pre-kindergarten education throughout Indiana.
“A child’s first days and weeks in a kindergarten classroom can set the stage for school success in the following years,” Early Learning President and CEO Maureen Weber said in the release. “Whether they help children feel comfortable in the new school setting, build links from pre-K to elementary teachers or give families support during the transition, each of the promising practices shared by winners of the Strong Start for Kindergarten Prize really tackle this important moment.”
