Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

Florida School District Provides Free Online Kindergarten-Readiness Program

  • By Yvonne Marquez
  • 05/26/20

About 500 Pre-K students in Escambia County will have access to a free online summer education program designed to help children make up for lost learning due to the coronavirus. The Waterford Upstart Summer Learning Path was purchased by the Escambia County School District in Florida and has been used at the elementary level. It will now be available throughout the summer months for preschoolers.

“It comes with evidence-based curriculum. So, this is not something free you’d get on the internet. This is high-quality programming that’s directly related to what students need to know as they’re starting kindergarten in August.” Kimberly Krupa, executive director of Achieve Escambia, a coalition of local agencies, told local WUWF.  

Students entering kindergarten should be able identify letters and letter sounds, shapes and colors and count to 20. Students may lose months of learning between Pre-K and kindergarten; the program hopes to bridge that gap.

The Waterford Upstart summer program includes educational songs, activities and curriculum for students and their families. Through Escambia County’s program, families will receive a free laptop and a Wi-Fi hotspot for the summer, according to Krupa.

The program runs through June 1 through August 31 and is designed to use between 20-25 minutes a day, five days a week for the duration of the summer. In addition, families get a weekly coaching call to help them understand what their children are learning.

Waterford is spending $9 million to provide the summer program in the following states: Arizona, California, Delaware, Florida, Indiana, Mississippi, New Mexico, Ohio and Texas. The program is open to 3,000 students in Florida. Registration is now open for the program.

About the Author

Yvonne Marquez is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. She can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • UT-San Antonio Begins Residence Hall Renovations

    The University of Texas at San Antonio recently began a $6-million renovation project to one of its residence halls, according to a news release. Originally completed in 1986, Chisolm Hall measures in at 120,860 square feet and is the oldest and largest residence hall on campus.

  • California Middle School Breaks Ground on Major Renovation Project

    The Hillsborough City School District (HCSD) in Hillsborough, Calif., recently began construction on new multipurpose and administration facilities for Crocker Middle School, according to a news release.

  • Esports are Growing in Popularity

    Video games and esports are a popular social hobby, and it’s one that’s accessible to a wide variety of physical ability levels. Some esport student-athletes have started to earn scholarship opportunities, and high schools are beginning to form teams equipped with the same degree of resources as their physical sports teams. However, the two have very different needs.

  • Construction Begins on 100+ Acre K–12 Campus Designed for Lakota Culture

    The Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe (CRST) and the Cheyenne-Eagle Butte School District in Eagle Butte, S.D., recently broke ground on a new K–12 campus that will cover more than 100 acres and serve students and families across 1,600 square miles, according to a news release.