Grantees

Prepare students for learning; help families find quality, affordable child care and provide opportunities for healthy, social interactions with developing peer.

Early Education STEM Outreach is a statewide STEM outreach initiative focusing on underserved early childhood classrooms including those located in rural communities and Head Start programs. ECHO will continue to expand the delivery of early science learning programs, teacher professional development, STEM Kits, STEM Festivals, and leverage new opportunities in virtual program delivery - supporting 60 teachers and 900 children in 60 classrooms across rural Vermont. This initiative will address the needs of early learners and Preschool - 1st grade educators by creating high-quality curricula, hands-on materials and professional development to support science literacy and early science readiness.

ECHO Science Center is expanding its Early STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) Education Outreach Program, which provides hands-on STEM-based education activities and curricula and teacher training in preschool and 1st-grade classrooms and other early learning programs in predominantly underserved communities across Vermont. Activities are both facilitated and self-guided, are offered in-school and remotely, and are planned to reach an estimated 75 educators and 900 students annually in more than 60 classrooms. The program addresses a shortage of STEM expertise among early childhood educators in many school districts and supports the science learning readiness critical to current trends in elementary education.

To purchase new materials to enhance the curriculum and preschool environment

Equipment

To assist in their expansion plans of the preschool.

The Farm To Preschool program goal is to increase the quality of child care in Windham County by integrating gardens, fresh foods and curriculum related to nutrition into child care programs.

Increase the number of preschool and kindergarten children who learn to identify their feelings and communicate them in positive and in appropriate ways.