Newborn Literacy Project is Flourishing

01/22/2019

Four and half years into our ‘Read to Baby’ project and we are happy to report that almost 6000 newborns have received our literacy bundle so far!

Thanks to Kids First Huron Perth and the Foundation for Education Perth Huron, parents of every newborn from Perth and Huron counties have been receiving a ‘Read to Baby’ Bundle – a special gift given soon after delivery that is designed to engage little minds, bring support and tools to parents and help nurture the bond between baby, mommy and daddy.

Presented to parents by nurses and midwives, the ‘Read to Baby’ Bundle consists of a sturdy and colourful baby book, a specially designed booklet of rhymes, songs and developmental milestones and a complete list of service and support agencies – all housed in a reusable cloth bag displaying tips for reading to baby.

According to the Huron and Perth Health Units, approximately 1300 babies are born in Huron and Perth counties each year. Statistically, 325 of these babies are considered to be at risk of developing learning, emotional, behavioural or physical disabilities in the future. These inherent risks are compounded by the challenges families face in our current economic times.

“Research shows that learning begins at birth and good literacy skills, built from the beginning, provide children with the best chance to rise above their particular challenges to live happy and productive lives.”, states Donna Feeney of Perth Care for Kids and former chairperson for the KidsFirst Early Learning Network.

The cost of one bundle is approximately $10 and the bundles are distributed to families at no cost to them.

The ‘Read to Baby’ Bundle project is funded solely by way of community support.

Support for this program can be given online at bit.ly/FOUNDing

More information can be found at our Read to Baby Group Page.

Kids First Early Literacy Network (KFELN) is a network of services, agencies, and organizations that support families with children prenatal to 6 years of age.

The Foundation for Education Perth Huron is a charitable organization committed to helping local kids of all ages experience learning and discover who they are in creative and hands-on ways.

Theatre for Young Audiences

01/22/2019

New Friends Old Friends title

McGregor & Friends and The Foundation for Education (in partnership with the Blyth Festival and Blyth Memorial Community Hall) presents ’New Friends Old Friends’adapted for the stage and directed by Duncan McGregor.

This captivating production involves music, action, puppets and audience participation as it weaves together three great-natured adventures:
Tractor Dan, Fiona and Ralph and The Amazing Adventures of Emily.

The production takes place April 8-12 with two performances per day at 10:15 am 1:15 pm.
Performances are one hour long and all are welcome!

The producer/director is Duncan McGregor has presented young audience productions at Blyth before including ‘Charlotte’s Web’ (2015), ‘Peter And The Wolf” (2014), ‘Let’s Do Munsch’ (2016) and “A Bunch of Munsch’ (2018). Those performances were attended by over 22,000 school children and their teachers. This year it’s ‘New Friends Old Friends’.

Nine actors (including young people from local schools plus adult performers all supported by professional designers and director) will present the show.
This production is being done in support of student enrichment through the Foundation for Education Huron Perth.

Please see the poster.

The show is ideal for kids aged 4 to 11 and tickets are $8.

Reservations can be made by calling the Blyth Festival Box Office at 1-877-862-5984.

We’re Happy To Report

06/19/2018

Trustee Report coverAs Avon Maitland District School Board (AMDSB) is a major partner of ours we are always happy when they call on us to present the latest on our student enrichment work to their Board of Trustees.
The following is a report generated for that purpose and we invite you to take a look. It’s not a hard read … we promise!

AMDSB Trustee Report

AMDSB annually contributes the following to the Foundation:

Part-time Administrative Assistant
Office Space with Basic Office Supplies
Grant – $100,908 (2017-18)

In turn, we bring much-added value to AMDSB:

We access grants not available to schools and school boards.
We offer best practice, design and technical expertise in fundraising for schools and school councils and help them build their fundraising campaigns.
We attract donations from the community that AMDSB would not be able to attract as a publicly funded institution.
We care for donors with public acknowledgment and engaging letters of thanks – often personalized with hand-written notes.
We lend our charitable status to schools and other partners for the purpose of gaining funds for the betterment of students.
We act as a clearinghouse with an efficiency that sparks new initiatives and enables existing projects and programs to run smoothly.
We promote and market AMDSB skillfully through social media.
We collaborate with AMDSB staff throughout the year on projects.
We accomplish a multitude of services for AMDSB (using mostly contract employees) for less than it would cost the Board when salaries, benefits, and pensions are taken into account.
We exceed the levels prescribed by the Ministry of Education through our enrichment programming in the schools giving AMDSB students experiences and opportunities that many would never otherwise be exposed to.
We provide professional development for AMDSB teachers:
We employ artists and facilitators for classroom enrichment programs at a reduced rate compared to what schools are asked to pay for their services.
We award AMDSB teachers with grants to help make possible their innovative and inclusive classroom projects throughout the year.
We persuade many parents prior to Christmas and the end of June to give cash gifts to schools in lieu of presents for AMDSB staff, bus drivers, and volunteers.
We engage community partners and draw them into relationship with AMDSB for the betterment of students.