Some pre-K and kindergarten students in Gwinnett are starting this school year a bit better prepared to take on the challenges of formal education. They learned the ropes of what school is like through CHISPA, a summer program organized by the nonprofit Families First that supports young learners and their parents.
For six weeks, students 4 and 5 years old arrived at the An Apple a Day Early Learning Center in Duluth where CHISPA teachers led educational games designed to develop motor and writing skills, build friendships and introduce a formal school environment. While the experiences are created to be fun, some can be daunting for children who are very attached to their families.
“School is a big change,” said Soledad Ruiz, CHISPA’s program coordinator. “It’s a big deal for our families. The summer camp is a way to transition from home. We talk about riding the big bus, their teachers, books, lessons they’ll explore and activities they’ll do.”
The program also provides language skills.
“Many students speak multiple languages, and sometimes they have a little trouble understanding,” said Ruiz. “This gives them a chance to practice while making that transition from home to classroom and meeting new friends.”
But CHISPA’s primary focus goes well beyond a summer session. The year-round program is aimed at helping parents become advocates for their young learners.
“We work with different populations, but our focus in Gwinnett is with the Latino population,” said Ruiz. “A lot of families here need information about education. Our goal is to teach mothers to be the first teachers at home, and we also give them the tools to help with the transition. Then we encourage them to be the voice of the children in pre-K and kindergarten.”
Ruiz identifies parents for the program through daycare centers, Gwinnett extension services and local organizations. Moms are recruited for weekly play-and-learn group sessions where they have parenting lessons, make connections with others and listen to guest experts on a variety of topics such as nutrition, domestic violence and child abuse prevention – topics that can lead to becoming leaders in their homes and communities.
That’s a shift from the program’s original concept that launched in 2004. “In the beginning, it was only for people with children under 5 who were interested in learning about parent/child interaction,” said Ruiz. “Now, because we’ve become a community with internationals and gone through a pandemic, we have a different need. And since we have room for about 100 families, so there’s always a waiting list.”
Families who are not enrolled in the program are welcome to attend the workshop sessions, help at area churches or community centers.
Information about the program is online at familiesfirst.org.
SEND US YOUR STORIES. Each week we look at programs, projects and successful endeavors at area schools, from pre-K to grad school. To suggest a story, contact H.M. Cauley at hm_cauley@yahoo.com or 770-744-3042.
