The Ready for School Preschool Scholarship program was established with the goal for every child in Midland County to receive at least one year of high-quality preschool education before kindergarten. The program is a partnership with the Midland County Great Start Collaborative. It is an endowed fund to underwrite tuition to attend a quality preschool for Midland County children whose families would otherwise be unable or find it challenging to afford the experience.
Why early education?
- Children from economically disadvantaged backgrounds are significantly lacking school readiness skills.
- 85% of our brain’s “hard wiring” is in place by ages 5-6.
Why the need in Midland?
- At least 1/3 of all Midland County incoming kindergarten students had no reported high quality preschool experience.
- Insufficient funding is the principal limitation impeding student access to a quality preschool.
Who are we helping?
- Approximately 800 three and four-year-old Midland County children would be eligible for full or partial scholarships.
What is the plan?
- Midland Area Community Foundation established the fund and will assist with fundraising efforts.
- Midland County Great Start Collaborative will provide quality oversight and administration.
- Preschools must meet “3 star” quality to receive funding for students.
- Preschool quality assessment will involve reviews of curriculum, classroom environment, daily routine, adult-child interaction, planning, and assessment.
What outcomes do we expect?
- A higher percentage of Midland County children are prepared for kindergarten.
- A higher percentage of students are reading at grade level by the third grade.
- A higher percentage of students attend school, graduate high school in six years or less, enroll in post-secondary education, and earn a degree.
Interested in giving?
- A gift of any amount will significantly impact a child’s ability to attend a quality preschool.
- The average cost for three and four-year-old children for a school year of a quality preschool is $2,250.
- A gift of $10,000 or more will launch a permanent scholarship fund in your name and ensure all Midland County children have a quality preschool experience.
- Donate to the Ready for School Preschool Scholarship fund online.
Contact Us
- To learn more about the Ready for School Preschool Scholarship, please contact Raquel Brown (rbrown@midlandfoundation.org ) or call us at 989-839-9661.