ABOUT
What is Ready for School all about?
Ready for School sees the BIG potential in all small children.
Results of a community adopted early literacy screen in 2008 showed that FEWER THAN HALF of our community’s children were ready for school when they entered kindergarten at age five. In response to this critical need, Ready for School was launched.
The good news is that in 2019 70% OF OUR COMMUNITY'S CHILDREN WERE READY.
Parents and community stakeholders recognize Ready for School as a TRUSTED partner (confianza) in school readiness which along with collaboration, being strategically agile and scrappy professionalism create our core values. Our relational, whole systems thinking approach has created a blueprint for a ten year target of being a community where there are more kids school ready here than anywhere!
EXPAND for CHILDREN
Whole systems analysis of early childhood education opportunities drives improvement. Together with partners, we break down barriers and build bridges, eliminating obstacles and filling gaps that make it difficult for children to be school ready.
ENHANCE for the COMMUNITY
Research-based teaching and learning tools enhance existing programming
ENGAGE & INFORM for PARENTS
Confianza - in Spanish, refers to a mutual trust and reciprocity. Readiness data has created "hotspots" indicating where need is greatest in our community. It is in these neighborhoods that we have engaged to establish confianza with parents, providing support to them, their friends, and neighbors.
Who We Are.We are real children and real parents/families who live in a community where ideas build momentum through collective effort. This is Ready for School. I joined the movement eight years ago as a physician and mother (biological and foster) whose child wasn't ready for school. The vision was compelling; multi-sector, data driven, community support for children and families. Fast forward to today, I see that the highest return on my investment is in our community's children. Our children are our future and our greatest natural resource.
Donna Lowry, MD
Past President & CEO for Ready for School
our mission
To PREPARE CHILDREN up to five years old for success in kindergarten by EQUIPPING parents and families through the integrated SUPPORT of the Holland, Zeeland, and Hamilton communities.
our vision
To create communities of readiness where ALL CHILDREN
thrive and reach their full UNIQUE POTENTIAL.
our values
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Confianza
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Collaboration
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Strategically Agile
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Scrappy Professional
our guiding Principles
• A thriving community relies on children being ready for school
• Our entrepreneurial model must engage all sectors of the community
• Our tactics must be data driven and employ evidence-based practices
• We apply sound business principles and achieve measureable results
• Diversity and inclusion are at the heart of our work
