EMCSD Awarded Grant for New Kinder Readiness Program
6/25/2021
El Monte, CA - In an effort to address learning recovery and give incoming TK and Kindergarten students the best opportunity at educational success, the El Monte City School District will be launching its TK and Kinder Readiness Program later this summer.
Last week, the California Community Foundation (CCF) announced that they will be awarding EMCSD with a $100,000 grant to use towards supplies and experiences for their new Readiness Program. “We are extremely excited and grateful that we were selected to receive the Summer Learning Initiative grant from California Community Foundation and its partners,” said Dr. Maribel Garcia, EMCSD Superintendent. “Our District prides itself on providing an educational environment that prepares children for their scholarly journey, which is partly why we created the TK and Kinder Readiness Program. The COVID-19 pandemic has spotlighted inequities within education, especially in regards to school readiness.”
The LA County Summer Learning Initiative was launched in 2020 by CCF in partnership with the LA County Office of Education to provide assistance to schools and community centers throughout LA County as they navigated the disarray caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. President and CEO of California Community Foundation, Antonia Hernández, said in a press release, “This year the needs of our students have only grown due to the continued physical closures of schools and youth-serving community centers. CCF and its partners recognize that need and are pleased to provide the resources necessary to help nonprofits and school-based summer programs offer engaging and critical services to their students this summer.”
EMCSD’s TK and Kinder Readiness Program is one of 123 Summer Programs in LA County receiving funds from $7.4 million in grants from CCF and its partners. The grant will help the District provide iPads to each student enrolled in the program, along with school supplies and various lessons revolving around foundational literacy, math skills, and social-emotional learning.
Jessica Pardini, EMCSD’s Educational Technology Coordinator and main developer of the Kinder Readiness Program said, “I can't explain how excited we are to receive this grant because we know the tremendous impact it will have on preparing our students for the 2021-2022 school year. Early preparedness is vital for students, families, and teachers.”
Ms. Pardini explained that the program is designed to provide educational support and guidance to TK and Kinder students and their families while simultaneously allowing administrators and teachers to accurately collect data to gauge students’ educational literacy.
“In order for schools to help close educational gaps and try to create equity amongst students, we need to provide the resources and programs that can accomplish those goals,” said Ms. Pardini. “All students deserve a jumpstart to education and we can't thank the California Community Foundation enough for giving us the ability to provide that boost to our students.”
For parents who are interested in having their child participate in the TK and Kinder Readiness Program, you can contact the Jeff Seymour Family Center via email at [email protected] or call (626) 442-1354. The District plans to host informational parent meetings starting on July 6th.
For media inquiries, or to schedule a visit to our Central Kitchen, please contact Robert Dozmati, Public Information & Communications Officer at (626) 315-8014, email [email protected].