NAKUSP – One of B.C.’s newest StrongStart BC centres has officially opened at Nakusp Elementary in
the Arrow Lakes school district, Education
Minister Shirley Bond announced.
“With
one quarter of B.C. children entering kindergarten not developmentally ready
for success, StrongStart BC centres are a key support resource for
our youngest children and their families,” said Bond. “Already we
have seen that StrongStart BC is making a difference, and now Nakusp children
will have the same opportunity to be better prepared for school and life.”
StrongStart BC is a free drop-in early learning program for
preschool-aged children accompanied by a parent or caregiver. A qualified early
childhood educator leads activities, including stories, music, and arts, to
help children grow linguistically, emotionally and socially, and become
comfortable in a school-like setting.
All
of B.C.’s 60 school districts have been offered the opportunity to participate
in the StrongStart BC program. The Province has committed $38 million to fulfil
a 2008 throne speech commitment to expand the StrongStart BC program to 400
centres by 2010. StrongStart
BC centres also help fulfil
government’s election platform and throne speech commitments to use
underutilized school district space as centres to deliver early-learning
services.
The Arrow Lakes
school district has received $50,000 for the Nakusp StrongStart BC
centre. This includes $20,000 to prepare the Nakusp Elementary in-school space,
including renovations and the purchase of new equipment and learning materials,
and $30,000 to fund this year’s operating costs, including staff, professional
development, supplies and healthy snacks.
“We’re
very happy to have the Nakusp Elementary StrongStart BC Centre open in our
community,” said Arrow Lakes Board of Education chair Pattie Adam. “Families
love the program and I know it will help the children as they enter school.”
StrongStart BC centres help the Province reach its goal of making
B.C. the best-educated, most literate jurisdiction on the continent. Since
2001, government has invested more than $137 million in new literacy
initiatives, including pre-literacy and early learning programs such as $9.5
million to operate the kindergarten readiness program Ready, Set, Learn and
$2.7 million for the ActNow Literacy Education Activity and Play (LEAP BC)
program that encourages literacy, physical activity and healthy eating in
preschool-aged children.
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