Zoo program aids school readiness for preschoolers
The PNC Foundation and The Toledo Zoo recently announced a “Learn through Play program with the local Head Start centers designed to support school readiness through nature and animal appreciation.
The three-year program will use play to help underserved Toledo children develop math and reading skills for kindergarten, as well as their cognitive and social skills, critical to early success in the classroom.
A $300,000 grant for the program was made possible by the PNC Foundation, which receives its principal funding from The PNC Financial Services Group. The initiative is part of a $3 million investment in early childhood education PNC is introducing over the next few weeks throughout Michigan and northwest Ohio.
The program signifies the first major investment the PNC Foundation has made in the Toledo area through its signature philanthropic initiative, “Grow Up Great,” a 10-year, $100 million bilingual initiative to improve early childhood education.
“Research has shown that children who are ready for kindergarten are far more likely to experience greater educational achievements, strive toward higher vocational aspirations and contribute to society later in life,” said regional president Brian Bucher, speaking on behalf of the PNC Foundation. “The investment in the Toledo Zoo’s Learn through Play program will help establish a needed foundation in science for local children.”
Learn through Play will be taught by professional educators employed by the zoo for students in the Lucas County Head Start program with a focus on:
• Encouraging interest in nature while developing math and reading readiness skills;
• Developing cognitive and social skills through play;
• Supporting professional development of teachers through training on how to bring nature into the classroom;
• Exposing children to innovative technology;
• Creating multi-media components housed within the exhibit and on the zoo website to expand the reach and scope of “Nature’s Neighborhood.”
In addition, the program provides opportunities for parents and siblings to visit the Zoo and encourages children to demonstrate the skills acquired through the program.
The Learn through Play program will be facilitated by Nature’s Neighborhood, opened last year by the Toledo Zoo as a play-based designed exhibit.
Approximately 1,800 children and their families enrolled in Head Start programs throughout Toledo are expected to be served by the program, with 600 in the first year alone.
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