When it comes to early education, parents, child care providers, teachers in classrooms and even employers all have a stake in a child's development from the time they are born until they enter kindergarten.
This is the philosophy of the Birth-K (kindergarten) Strategic Alliance for Visioneering Wichita. As part of Visioneering's Education Foundation, this coalition of educators, associations, funders, businesses, government agencies and families works toward the goal of ensuring all children enter kindergarten ready to learn at the kindergarten level.
The way the Birth-K Alliance expects to get there is by:
- Identifying reading deficiencies early and helping Birth-K parents and teachers with programs that result in each child being ready for kindergarten
- Improving access to Birth-K programs, including Headstart, educational daycare, etc.
- Including programs for parents and children to address language skills and social development of Birth-K within the community
- Providing more qualified pre-school teachers in daycare and Birth – K programs
A driving principle for the coalition is not to create more programs, but to follow Visioneering's overall approach, which is to support the efforts already existing in the community and offering new partnerships to bolster those efforts.
Benchmarks for the Alliance's work are being developed. In the meantime, the group wants to reach out to others in the community, especially business leaders who can have an influential role in delivering the message about the importance of early education on the future growth of the region.
It is, they say, an issue that directly affects the local economy and the growth of a strong and vital workforce. An early education system that surrounds a child with opportunities to learn and grow will ensure the community has a competitive advantage in the future.
