The City of San Antonio and Pre-K 4 SA is offering San Antonio area schools and licensed childcare centers an opportunity to apply for competitive education grants benefitting four-year-olds citywide. Now through Dec. 18, grant applications are available to support innovative ways to expand and enhance existing access to high-quality, prekindergarten education.
“By moving forward with these competitive grants, our board is delivering on the promise to tax payers that funds would be leveraged to support excellence in early learning programs throughout our community. This strategy is an innovative approach of creating and strengthening partnerships that bolster the early education landscape of San Antonio and facilitate additional students be served through quality programs,” said Pre-K 4 SA Board Chair Elaine Mendoza.
Public ISDs, charter schools, accredited private and parochial schools, as well as licensed childcare centers can apply for support including but not limited to: improved curriculum, increased professional development opportunities, decreased class size and teacher/student ratio or other researched-based practices that will increase the overall quality and effectiveness of prekindergarten programs.
“Access to quality early childhood education is a proven strategy to help children succeed in school from the day they enter kindergarten until the day they graduate high school,” said Pre-K 4 SA CEO Kathy Bruck. “Pre-K 4 SA’s competitive grants program enables us to work with early learning programs throughout the city to enhance existing offerings and to service an additional 1,700 students per year.”
Since its inception, Pre-K 4 SA has worked to establish an initiative that services children and families, providing four-year-olds with a complete experience that ensures academic excellence in school and in their future.
Over an eight-year period, Pre-K 4 SA will educate a projected 22,400 four-year-old children in multiple scholastic environments. The investment not only lies within the children and their success in education, but also the future workforce and vitality of the city of San Antonio.
“The most important investments we can make in the future of San Antonio are in the children of San Antonio and their education. By starting early, we open up more doors of opportunity for more children to succeed at every level from cradle to a great career,” said Mayor Ivy Taylor. “We are very excited to launch this grant program which aims to fulfill a promise made to the voters of San Antonio to support early childhood education for the betterment of our city.”
The City is taking best practices gained through the development and implementation of the Pre-K 4 SA program, and extending an invitation to area schools and early education providers to join in the commitment to provide the resources for a better, more educated and academically prepared community.
Interested applicants are encouraged to visit the City of San Antonio website by clicking HERE.
*Top image: A teacher reads to students. Photo courtesy of Pre-K for SA.
