Primary Collaborators: Estes Valley Investment in Childhood Success ("EVICS"), Estes Park School District, Estes Valley Library, Macdonald Book Shop, Rotary Club of Estes Park
This program will focus on the Hispanic Community but will be beneficial to the Estes Valley community in general.
EVICS staff have noticed that when Hispanics/Latinos migrate to the US without knowing how to speak the language nor write it, their children attend school and learn their new language (which is great, and EVICS is promoting that as well), yet it creates a gap in the family's communication and can lead to disconnect within the parent-child relationship. When the parent who does not speak English, speaks Spanish to their kids, the kids answer back in English. To support parent-child and overall family connection EVICS will come alongside the parents by creating video content that can be accessed via EVICS YouTube channel. This promotes a family time of listening, reading, and doing a fun craft activity together as family.
The entire community of Estes Park will benefit from this program through collaboration among several partners to promote and support access to the books and videos. The book titles are beneficial and appropriate for children infant through Second grade. The program specifically targets Kindergarten through Second Grade children with all Kindergarten students at the Estes Park Elementary School being read the book and given the accompanying activity kit to take home. Its goal is to support these families and create the habit to pause, read a book, do an activity together every month to support family bonding and communication.
Program Goal Outcomes:
o Family Connection
o Community Integration
o Increase literacy in our community
o Celebration of family culture
Program Format: A book will be read in each Kindergarten class in Spanish and English. EVICS will create videos of the book of the month being read in Spanish and English and upload them on the EVICS YouTube channel, so it can be easily accessible for families, and shareable on social media.
EVICS will prepare craft materials that go along with the book of the month and can be distributed at the school as well as being picked up at the EVICS Family Resource Center to reach home school families or families with younger children.
EVICS will also create Activity Backpacks that will be distributed to the School, Library, and EVICS for check out by families, caregivers, childcare providers, etc. to ensure the impact of this program is sustaining. These activity backpacks will have more resources in it such as social-emotional activities, bilingual books, toys etc.
One hundred twenty five (125) books and activity kits will be distributed each month, for five months, totaling 625 books and activity kits over the 5-month semester period.
Program Timeline: EVICS plans to kick-off the program January 2022 and it will initially run through May 2022.
The Rotary Club of Estes Park is seeking to provide financial support to the project by providing funds for the activity kits/backpacks. The funds will be used to purchase backpacks, craft supplies and various support materials. The total estimated cost for the activity kits/backpacks (125 kits for 5 months) and support materials is $3,000.
EVICS Website: www.evics.org
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