VERO BEACH — Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) of St. Lucie, Indian River, and Okeechobee Counties is pleased to announce it has received a $40,000 grant from the Indian River Community Foundation (IRCF) to fund “Mentoring for Success in Early Childhood,” a new program to improve kindergarten readiness for at-risk children in Indian River County.
The program is a collaborative pilot project between BBBS and the Early Learning Coalition (ELC) of Indian River, Martin, and Okeechobee Counties in which 50 at-risk pre-kindergarten students will be assigned a mentor three times a week to help develop pre-literacy skills.
The mentors, supplied by AmeriCorps staff from BBBS, will also focus on engaging the families of students in literacy activities to support continued learning in the home environment.
The program is the first and only local mentoring program working with pre-kindergarten students and is considered an important part of helping Indian River County achieve its Moonshot Moment of having 90 percent of third grade students reading on grade level by 2018.
“AmeriCorps staff and members are excited for this new opportunity to partner with the ELC to target pre-k students. AmeriCorps members have seen firsthand the difference strong pre-literacy skills can make in a student entering kindergarten.
These experienced members are excited to give students a solid foundation to build upon when they enter school. We are very thankful and honored to receive the IRCF’s generous gift,” said Jenna Stinnett, Americorps Program Director.
“We are grateful to IRCF and excited at the opportunity to work with BBBS on this new literacy initiative,” added an excited Jacki Jackson, Executive Director of the ELC.
“A hearty thanks to the IRCF for its generous investment in bettering the lives of our most precious resource: our children,” stated Jason Odom, Immediate Past Chair of the BBBS of IRC Advisory Committee.
“We greatly appreciate the support you have given us. With the help of organizations like yours, we plan to continue making a difference, one child at a time,” said current Chairman of the BBBS Advisory Board, Ken Roberts.
“I am very excited about the pre-k literacy program. Many young people will now have an opportunity to start their educational experience on a positive note,” added Joanna Meyers, BBBS of IRC Advisory Board member.
The $40,000 grant was awarded by IRCF through a competitive grants program designed to address time-sensitive community needs in the focus areas of literacy, homelessness, and mental health/substance abuse.
Kerry Bartlett, Executive Director of the IRCF, said her Board of Directors appreciated the opportunity to help launch Indian River County’s first mentoring program for pre-k students.
“We’ve been working for over a year in cooperation with other individuals, local businesses, and nonprofits to support Indian River County’s Moonshot Moment literacy goals, but this is the first time we’ve had the opportunity to help launch a program that will have such a lasting impact on the future success of children in our community,” Bartlett added.
BBBS of St Lucie, Indian River, and Okeechobee Counties is a one-to-one mentoring organization that served 1,692 children in 2012 through a variety of mentoring programs.
Our vision is that all children achieve success in life, and we accomplish that by providing children facing adversity with strong and enduring, professionally supported one-to-one relationships that we hope will change their lives for the better, forever.
To learn more about BBBS and how you can be involved, please visit us online at www.BBBSBigs.org.
The IRCF is a neutral, nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the quality of life in Indian River County through donor-driven philanthropy.
Founded in 2005, the organization began operating formally in 2008 and, in partnership with its donors, has since facilitated over $15 million in charitable contributions to nonprofit organizations, with more than 80 percent of those funds staying within Indian River County.
To learn more, please visit www.IRCommunityFoundation.com.