Starting strong: Why kindergarten readiness matters in Boulder Valley
As funding cuts ripple through early childhood education, one summer program is helping local students enter kindergarten with confidence.
Early Learning
CHAMPIONS OF EARLY LEARNING
Access to early learning, including reading and math, is not equitably available to all children who will enroll in the Boulder Valley School District (BVSD). That’s why we provide funding for summer programming that boosts classroom readiness for incoming Kindergarten students.
Opportunity gaps start early, so investing in early childhood has the biggest impact.
Kinder Bridge
Impact on Education partners with the Boulder Valley School District to offer Kinder Bridge as part of BVSD Summer Summit. Our funding provides access to early learning to over 270 incoming Kindergarten students, including free transportation to and from school, and nutritious meals.
BVSD schools are well-positioned to provide young children and their families with high quality early learning experiences.
What children learn
Students who participate in the program will be equipped with the necessary skills and confidence to transition smoothly into kindergarten by simulating routine structures, practicing school readiness behaviors, and being introduced to basic academic concepts aligned with kindergarten expectations.
Early learning instruction focuses on letter recognition, counting, letter sound formation and recognition, and name-writing. Students also cultivate executive functioning and social emotional learning skills which are important for kindergarten readiness.
School readiness can significantly impact everything from reading at grade level to graduating high school to being career ready later in life.
Center for American Progress
DID YOU KNOW?
Colorado spends $3,000 below the national average per student. You can help supplement district funding and provide students with access to excellent and equitable education.
PROGRAM HISTORY
2013
Impact on Education pilots a summer literacy program for children in Kalmia public housing in north Boulder. 40 students ranging from 2 to 12 years old participated.
2014-2021
120 students at 3 Boulder public housing sites receive extra literacy instruction through the Summer Shuffle program.
2022-Present
The program, now called Kinder Bridge, becomes part of BVSD’s summer learning program. Impact on Education funding now enables 160 students to receive 4 weeks of full-day instruction, transportation, and meals, to prepare them for their first year of school.
SUPPORT EQUITY IN BOULDER VALLEY SCHOOLS
Your gift helps ensure students in the Boulder Valley School District have access to excellent and equitable education.
How Kinder Bridge prepares young students for school
As Kindergarten begins this week, children across the Boulder Valley School District are embarking on an exciting new adventure. For many, especially those from low-income or marginalized families, this transition marks their first exposure to a formal learning environment. Through our Kinder Bridge program, we’re providing these young learners with the targeted support they need to start their school journey with confidence.
