NEWPORT, Ky. -- Newborns to five-year-olds will receive a boost of early childhood education through $45,000 in state of Kentucky grants awarded to the Newport Independent Schools.
The grants were allocated from the Governor's Office of Early Childhood Education to the Newport Summit Team, which includes representatives from early childhood centers the Brighton Center, Campbell County Public Library, Head Start and the superintendent and preschool director of the Newport Independent Schools.
The grant will fund three early childhood programs:
- The creation of Welcome Wildcat bags, which will consist of supplies geared toward newborns to children two years old and include early learning materials and parent resources
- The purchase of curriculum and classroom supplies for early childhood partners across the community.
- The creation of Literacy Backpacks that will be packed with literacy-related materials for children ages three to five including parent engagement activities and resources.
Newport Primary School Assistant Principal Nichole Hayden said in a news release that all three grants "will enhance our current work in our preschool partnership grant."
That grant, which the school district has also received, has provided two certified teachers to work with early childhood centers across the community to increase the quality of their programs and increase the awareness of the importance of early childhood education.
"One highlight I am excited about is the common high-quality curriculum that will be implemented in all of our centers," Hayden said. "This is going to allow teachers across Newport to work together as a professional learning community and truly share our resources."
