# of children participating in neighborhood pre-K camps (How much?)
Current Value
80
Definition
Story Behind the Curve
Classroom teachers at Rogers Elementary School have found that the pre-K camps result in a shortened orientation period at the begining of the academic year, better-than-expected performance, and improved attendance.
MICA hopes to expand the pre-K summer camps to one Marshalltown Community School District (MCSD) elementary school each year. Two MCSD schools — Rogers and Anson Elementary — currently offer pre-K camps. Funding for the camps is vital, and MICA staff members are actively seeking further funding to maintain and expand these pre-K summer camps.
Partners
MICA works closely with Marshalltown Community School District and, in particular, the staff of Rogers Elementary and Anson Elementary Schools, where the 2016 pre-K camps took place.
Among the funding partners for the pre-K camps are the Martha-Ellen Tye Foundation and the Community Foundation of Marshall County.
What Works
Marshalltown children entering preschool or kindergarten and their families meet their instructors and classmates, and are introduced to their school and classroom. The pre-K camp runs on a full-day schedule, and a curriculum similar to the academic year is used. Instructors are able to do early assessment of their students' number and letter knowledge, and have an opportunity to get to know their students as individuals.
Action Plan
A new neighborhood pre-K camp is conducted in each of 2017 and 2018, serving 40 children at each camp.
- Meetings with MCSD to determine resources needed for the camps — July 2016
- Make requests for resources of local funders — March 2017
- Plan camp dates and curricula with kindergarten teachers at Woodbury Elementary — April 2017
- Hold new camp — August 2017
- Make requests for resources of local funders — March 2018
- Plan camp dates and curricula with kindergarten teaches at expansion site — April 2018
- Hold new camp — August 2018