With summer on the horizon and students bound for summer vacation, the Pottstown School District is hosting community conversations on programs available to students during the summer.
The district, in conjunction with the Pottstown Early Action for Kindergarten Readiness initiative, will hold four workshops for parents and caregivers of students in fourth grade or younger to discuss ways to continue a child’s education while school is out.
The Early Action program focuses on early childhood education in Pottstown and includes the state-funded Pre-K Counts Partnership, which funds 123 students for full-day prekindergarten instruction.
A year ago the district started holding conversations, titled “Our KidsOur Future,” to find out what caregivers thought the district could be doing better. The meetings were organized by the University of Pennsylvania’s Project for Civic Engagement. The meetings played a major role in the district obtaining a $1.2 million grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation in January.
“Kellogg came back to us and said ‘These are all great programs, but how do you know that your parents will buy into it?’ ” said Jane Bennett, director of community engagement for the Early Action program.
The conversations, to be held this week and next, will include a meal, child care, and raffle prizes as parents discuss ideas with school administrators and community leaders, including representatives from the University of Pennsylvania, the Pottstown Family Center, the Mental Health Association, and ACLAMO Family Centers.
“We’re hoping to evoke conversation from the parents amongst themselves to share their thoughts and ideas.” Bennett said. “We’ve also compiled a calendar of events, going around the community to see what events and programs are out there during the summer.”
Contact Matt Carey: 610-371-5038 or mcarey@readingeagle.com
