A b o u t S m a r t S t a r t - C e n t r e Smart Start-Centre County is a network of individuals, businesses, and organizations that promotes the healthy growth and development of ALL young children (birth through age 6) in Centre County. C o u n t y Free Publications • Centre County Family Resources Directory • Babies Rock With Books • Pre-K Calendar • Connected for Kids Newsletter (available on our website under PUBLICATIONS) O u r M i ss i o n is to ensure that all Centre County children begin school ready to learn. “Ready to learn” means promoting their physical growth, learning, social interactions, emotional development and communication skills. O u r S t r a t e g y is to build relationships with existing agencies and organizations that serve young children, as well as inviting and including new stakeholders to share in the work of preparing our youngest members for school and for life. “If young children are not provided appropriate help, emotional difficulties that emerge early in life can become more serious disorders over time.”1 In January, Smart Start– Centre County helped sponsor the Early Years Conference, a full day conference welcoming early childhood educators and child care professionals. The conference featured a variety of topics on childhood emotions, education and health. (243 child care providers attended) Ask the Medical Experts Panelists: Dianne M. Fortson, Director, Women & Children’s Services Mount Nittany Medical Center, Dr. Robin Oliver, Centre Medical and Surgical Associates, OB/GYN, Dr. Mike Flannagan, Penn State Family Medicine, Dr. Rob Huffard, Centre Medical and Surgical Associates Pediatric Group. CONTACT “At-risk children who attend quality pre-kindergarten programs improve their language and social skills and experience later benefits such as lower arrest rates.”² Part of preparing children for school is educating parents, caregivers, and other concerned adults about healthy child development and school readiness. Community education is achieved through our publications, sponsored workshops, and public events, all of which are organized by Smart Start — Centre County’s four Action Committees: 1. Early Care and Education 2. Parenting and Literacy 3. Early Childhood Mental Health 4. Communications and Advocacy Contact us at www.smartstartcc.org to find out about these offerings, and join us in creating these resources. The Importance of Sleep for Young Children: A Presentation by Brian Crosby, Ph.D., Penn State Child Study Center, detailed sleep needs at different stages of development while fielding questions from concerned educators. Public Workshops • Early Childhood Mental Health Annual Speaker Series • Transition to Kindergarten workshops • Presentations at “Early Years Are Learning Years” annual child care provider conference •Presentations at “Focus on Strong Families” annual parent conference Public Events •“One Book for Every Young Child” Reading and Craft Project •Countdown to Kindergarten – Nittany Mall •Children’s Art Display – State College Borough Building •Stakeholder Meetings and other public presentations •Displays and demonstrations at local community fairs For parents in Centre County with 3 and 4-year-olds, the Smart Start–Centre County Pre-K Calendar is a great asset. The calendar prepares parents with important information about language and mathematical skill development, socialization, physical readiness, along with activities and resources for their children in the years before they enter kindergarten. Calendars are distributed through early education providers, the library, and pediatrician offices. (5,000 families impacted) Smart Start–Centre County’s 2008-2009 Resources: This graph shows total resources, including all cash and in-kind resources. 45% of total resources come from in-kind donations of professional consultation, community volunteer time, and Penn State intern hours. SMART START RESOURCES 2008-2009 Penn State Intern Hours 5.2% Individual and Business Sponsorships and Local Grants 9% EITC Business Contributions 9.5% United Way Funds Allocation 11.8% Volunteer Hours 18.2% State Grants (CEG & PD) 24.7% In-Kind Consultation & Services (includes occupancy) 21.7% US TODAY! How to Get Involved Volunteer – Become a volunteer for one of Smart Start–Centre County’s action committees. (Visit our website at www.smartstartcc.org MONTHLY REPORTS to read about our four committees. Look under CALENDAR to find the date, time, and location of the next meeting.) Become an Advocate – Actively discover what aspects of early childhood education interest you and help promote them in the community. Express your perspective to civic and business leaders and your local and state policy makers. Sign On – Visit Pennsylvania’s Promise for Children website and read and sign the pledge. Go to www. papromiseforchildren.com. Act – Choose to be active rather than passive to improve the quality of early environments and experiences for young children in your community. Talk with experts and ask questions. Discuss the issues with your friends and neighbors. The 6th annual Early Childhood Mental Health Speaker Series took place in January. Taking the Hassle out of Mealtimes: Improving Children’s Health and Behavior featured a speaker panel on nutrition for young children. Parents and those working in early child care received beneficial information on children’s eating habits and their possible effects on children’s behaviors. The panelists were (Upper photo, L-R) Jennifer Savage Williams, Ph.D., Rachel Love, Ph.D., (Lower photo, L-R)Sonia VanHorn, OTR/L, and Wendy Whitesell, M.Ed. (281 children impacted directly, 335 impacted indirectly) If you have questions or would like additional information about one of Smart Start’s committees or projects, please contact Eileen Wise, Executive Director of Smart Start-Centre County. Smart Start-Centre County P.O. Box 853 State College, PA 16804 Phone: 814-238-0331 E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.smartstartcc.org Smart Start-Centre County is funded in part by a grant from the Pennsylvania Office of Child Development and Early Learning, in part through the Centre County United Way as a member collaborative, and by community partners. National Scientific Council on the Developing Child (2008). Mental Health Problems in Early Childhood Can Impair Learning and Behavior for Life: Working Paper #6. http://www.developingchild.net. ² Reynolds, A.J., Temple, J.A., Robertson, D.L., & Mann, E.A. (2001). Long-term effects of an early childhood intervention on educational achievement and juvenile arrest: A 15-year follow-up of low-income children in public schools. Journal of the American Medical Association. 285(18), 2339-2346. ³ Juel, C. (1988). Learning to read and write: A longitudinal study of 54 children from first to fourth grades. Journal of Educational Psychology, 80(4), 437-447. 4 “Are They Really Ready to Work?” 2006 Study by the Conference Board, Corporate Voices for Working Families, Partnership for 21st Century Skills, and the Society for Human Resource Management. 1 Special thanks to Morgan Moerder, PSU Communications Intern Created: July 2009 Working with the State “Students who lack necessary literacy and language skills by the third grade simply don’t catch up. Until third grade, children learn to read; from third grade on, they read to learn.”³ Smart Start—Centre County receives a state grant from The Office of Child Developmental and Early Learning (OCDEL) to educate the community about the importance of early childhood learning environments and how children’s pre-schooling experiences can help their future education. Nurse-Family Partnership – provides registered nurses who work with first-time expectant mothers to ensure a healthy pregnancy. They also engage in activities to promote the child’s healthy development and work with the mother to plan for the future. Opportunities to Promote Education for Children in Centre County The state of Pennsylvania has created a variety of programs to help families with young children improve the quality of their children’s early experiences. Smart Start—Centre County has played an active role in making these programs available to residents of Centre County. Child Care Works – subsidized child care program provides financial help to pay for child care for low income families who are working or receiving job training. Keystone STARS – promotes child care provider’s participation in a voluntary rating system based on standards in the following areas: staff qualifications and professional development, early learning environment and curriculum, partnerships with family and community, and leadership and business management. Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts – provides high quality pre-kindergarten opportunities to three and four year olds at no cost to families. The program is targeted to children at risk of school failure due to income, language, or special needs issues. Early Intervention – provides children from birth to age five with disabilities or developmental delays with specialized services to enhance their development. Head Start – provides free comprehensive early learning services to children and families most at risk of academic failure due to low income. The second annual Countdown to Kindergarten was held at the Nittany Mall in February. The event featured displays from all four school districts in Centre County: Bald Eagle, Bellefonte, Penns Valley and State College. Also in attendance were various charter and private kindergartens. Parents were provided with useful information regarding kindergarten registration and tips on preparing their child for the transition to school. Children enjoyed the event with Cen-Clear costumed characters, read alouds, games and crafts. (120 families impacted) If you would like more information about these programs, please contact our office. Funding from the State’s “Community Engagement Grant” provides Smart Start – Centre County with the opportunity to advocate the importance of early education of our young citizens in order to prepare them for school, college and, eventually, to be the work force of the future. Early education not only benefits the child, but the community as well by the development of economic prosperity. support of extended family, neighbors, schools, places of worship, medical personnel, business owners, civic leaders and elected officials. The children of today will be the leaders of our future. Why not invest in their education now? Pre-K Counts Outcomes: The chart at right shows the outcomes of the second year of the statewide Pre-K Counts program. Each bar shows the number of children who were assessed as “Proficient” in the four areas of development indicated. Students were assessed at the beginning and at the end of the school year. Over the course of the year, the number of proficient children increased 3-fold for Personal and Social, 4-fold for Language and Literacy, 4-fold for Mathematical Thinking, and 5-fold for Scientific Thinking. The total number of children enrolled in Pre-K Counts statewide is 11,800. 2 PA PRE-K RESULTS 2008-2009 PRE-K COUNTS COUNTS RESULTS 2008-2009 7,910 Personal & Social Development Skills Language & Literacy Skills 1,792 Mathematical Thinking 1,429 Scientific Thinking AREA OF IMPROVEMENT Start of the School Year End of the School Year “More than 85% of the foundation for communications, critical thinking, problem-solving and teamwork – skills that employers nationwide cite as critical to success in the workplace – is developed by age five.” 4 Our community needs to be the voice of our children so they can receive the education they need to grow and flourish. Parents, of course, are the most important teachers for children. However, children also need the Smart Start—Centre County Board Chair, Charlene Friedman, and Executive Director, Eileen Wise, welcomed guests and supporters at the State College Spikes baseball game in August to promote their cause and also their affiliation with Centre County United Way as a member collaborative. State Representative Mike Hanna read “If You Were a Penguin” to Pre-K Counts students and talked with staff at Child Development and Family Council of Centre County, Inc.’s Discovery Child Development Center in State College. 8 - 2 0 0 9 t r o p re e h t o t d r a c y t i n u comm 7,686 2,984 2,164 0 Smart Start-Centre County 8,763 8,135 0 Parenting and Literacy Committee member and Community Relations Manager for Barnes & Noble Meredith Rogers read to children at the bookstore in April. The demonstration was part of the first annual Reader’s Tea—a new component of the One Book for Every Young Child reading and craft project coordinated by Smart Start—Centre County’s PSU Human Development and Family Studies intern, Lori Perez. (582 children impacted)