Grantees

The Early Learning Center seeks funding to expand its sensory tool library through the acquisition of specialized equipment designed to support children’s cognitive, emotional, and physical development. These tools will promote inclusion and provide therapeutic benefits for children with sensory sensitivities. Our future location will have a room specifically designed for sensory breaks. Children enrolled at the Early Learning Center represent a diverse population with varying developmental needs. The current sensory library is limited in scope and lacks varied equipment that could more effectively support regulation, engagement, and learning. Upgrading the space will help address these gaps and provide equitable access to sensory interventions. Our goal is to support neurodivergent learners better in our community and these additions will create a safe, stimulating space where all children, especially those with sensory processing challenges, can engage, regulate, and grow in alignment with our core values.

The Early Learning Express (ELE) bookmobile visits early care and education centers, afterschool programs, and low-income communities in our region. It is uniquely effective outreach to early care and education providers in isolated rural areas. These programs often lack the ability to access local libraries or other resources to provide program enrichment to the children they serve. The ELE has always included books, songs, stories and interactive learning. Recently we expanded our programs to include more arts exposure. Art is a great vehicle to introduce young children to literacy, math and science concepts while their brains are still developing. Thus, the bookmobile is a portal to learning through music, puppetry and other forms art.

A literacy program for the very young children at Neshobee Children's Center.

Provide family literacy opportunities to families with young children

They would like to expand the program to include extended materials for families to use together as a way to give all families an opportunity to foster their child's learning and increase their social emotional, communication, and cognitive skills

Future Genius, Inc. provides high-quality, affordable summer enrichment programs that explore 21st century sustainability education and stewardship. Through exploration of the U.N. Global Goals for Sustainable Development, Future Genius activates middle school youth, regardless of family income or background, to become agents of change—future leaders and problem-solvers—energized to transform the planet. Our innovative STEM programs are designed to boost academic achievement, foster social and emotional well-being, and create civic responsibility for a sustainable future. With a focus on personal development, Future Genius builds confidence and initiates exciting ideas for making a difference.

COTS offers specialized programming for children in our family shelter to reduce the negative impacts of homelessness. We propose expanding this by offering an education-centered curriculum in shelter, focused on developing healthy life tools children can transfer to their school experience. This curriculum, designed for pre-K-12th grade, will provide children with healthy psycho-emotional tools: healthy attachments, behavioral regulation, impulse control, logical reasoning and a healthy self-concept. We will work with parents to help reinforce this learning in their home. These tools will strengthen overall literacy, thinking skills, learning strategies, social interactions, and psycho-emotional regulation.

Make contact with new fathers through collaboration with agencies and hospitals to set up monthly support groups, on-on-one support, and postpartum phone followup to discuss concerns. The primary focus of the facilitator at these support groups is to provide educational materials and resources to new fathers, while discussing their role in the birth and responsibilities for care once the baby arrives