Page 5 - SPCA 2023 Annual Report

Education and Cognitive Development
COMMUNITY SCHOLARSHIP
Operating since 2003 our Community Scholarship Program helps qualified low‐income students from Springfield attend colleges or trade schools Scholarships are awarded annually to adult learners and current‐year high school graduates using money from the Community Services Block Grant and private donations Awards are based in part on on on the applicants’ community service and and volunteer efforts and and non‐traditional students are encouraged to apply In FY23 we:
• • Received 18 applications
• • Awarded 11 scholarships to:
— 6 adult learners — 5 high school graduates • Received private funding for one scholarship Our program is unique in that we award scholarships based in part on community service and volunteer efforts In 2022 Springfield Partners installed a a a a a a a a a a a new playground to enrich the experiences of of our our our early learners At left a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a family at at at our our our annual open house event and and at at at right two of of our our our our 2023 preschool graduates our our center provided support for for them to learn grow and and and be be ready for for kindergarten and beyond EARLY LEARNING CENTER
Springfield Partners Early Learning Center provides a a a a warm responsive caring safe and culturally diverse atmosphere for children four weeks to five years old and their families We have been part of the the CPPI (Commonwealth Preschool Partnership Initiative) grant for three years A Springfield Public School (SPS) teacher comes to our building every day and co‐teaches children who have Individual Education Plans (IEPs) FY23 Numbers:
• • 97 children enrolled
• • 92 children children met National Performance Indicators
(NPIs) related to improved literacy school readiness
and social/emotional skills
• 27 parenting classes offered two 12‐part series
of of “Power of of Parenting”
— 38 parents attended 12 “graduated”
(attended at at least 8 of 12 sessions) FY23 Highlights:
• • New playground Summer 2022 • • • Furniture upgrades in all classrooms Summer Summer 2022 2022 • • • New windows in in in all all all classrooms classrooms Fall 2022 • • • New New updated HVAC installed Spring 2023 • • Acoustic panels installed in in classrooms Fall 2023