The Early Childhood Academy received a portion of a $100,000 grant from Early Learning Indiana to help preschool students transition to kindergarten.
On Friday, October 25, 2019, Early Learning Indiana announced recipients of the prize focused on identifying innovative ideas to ensure Hoosier children move effectively into the kindergarten classroom.
The Strong Start for Kindergarten Prize competition was a new initiative funded by Indiana’s Preschool Development Grant. The Early Childhood Academy received this award for the second year in a row. The initiative encourages family engagement and strengthen the connective experience between pre-K and K-12, setting the stage for continued social and emotional growth and academic attainment in elementary education and beyond.
“A child’s first days and weeks in a kindergarten classroom can set the stage for school success in the following years,” Early Learning Indiana President and CEO Maureen Weber said. “Whether they help children feel comfortable in new school settings, 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.”
Early Learning Indiana received 55 entries from school districts, early learning providers and non-profit community organizations representing 24 Indiana counties. Submissions for the Strong Start for Kindergarten prize were evaluated on their correlation to national research on early learning, ability to demonstrate measurable outcomes, and potential for replication in other Indiana communities. The nine recipients of the prize will be awarded $5,000 to $25,000 in recognition of their high-impact kindergarten transition programs.
The full list of recipients are:
| Organization | City |
| School City of Hobart’s Building Brickies | Hobart |
| United Way of Allen County | Fort Wayne |
| Portage Township YMCA | Portage |
| United Way of Porter County | Valparaiso |
| Pace Community Action Agency | Vincennes |
| Lewis Cass Schools | Walton |
| Perry Township School District Preschool | Indianapolis |
| Johnson County Learning Center | Greenwood |
| Indiana University Campus Children’s Center | Bloomington |
The Early Childhood Academy is ranked as a Level 4 provider by Paths to QUALITY™, Indiana’s statewide rating system for early care and education programs. We take incredible pride in the education our preschool staff provides. Our teachers are licensed and held to the same standards as elementary and secondary educators across the district. They receive professional development training and regular teacher evaluations.
Early Learning Indiana will share both the Strong Start for Kindergarten winning practices and the results of their national landscape review of effective practices later this year.
This news release was written thanks to a collaboration with Early Learning Indiana.