WORDS & PHOTO: Wendy Dewhurst
Nine years ago, a group of three very influential and impactful organizations whose mission is to support early learning came together with the purpose of pursuing initiatives that would enrich the community, prioritizing collaboration while strengthening their individual agencies.
“This all began with the Campaign for Grade-Level Reading Program,” said Shela Halpin with the School District of Manatee County (SDMC). “We wanted to form a …
WORDS: Rachel Spivey
PHOTOS: Wendy Dewhurst
Ever heard the old adage, “The early bird catches the worm?” Well, it turns out this saying applies to early learning, too! The earlier children are exposed to stimulating environments, the better the outcome. Years of research have reported that investing in early education programs yields a higher return on investment than at any other time in academia. Estimates on this return are said …
WORDS & PICTURES: Gabrielle Versmessen
Due to various unprecedented factors in the last three years, the child care industry has found itself with a huge staffing gap. Not only has it been difficult for centers to keep employees, but it’s also been hard to hire employees, and working with young children is certainly not for the weak.
In the spring of 2022, the Early Learning Coalition of Manatee County partnered …
WORDS & PICTURES: Gabrielle Versmessen
The Early Learning Coalition of Manatee County (ELC) has implemented a new assessment tool across six child care centers called EarlyBird. This game-based evaluation assesses literacy and identifies potential reading challenges early before they become reading problems.
Administered on an iPad, EarlyBird is fun and easy to use as it utilizes engaging games to assess and score children’s reading skills. EarlyBird was developed and scientifically …
WORDS & PICTURES: Gabrielle Versmessen
The 2nd Annual Stand for Children Day Luncheon debuted the finished look of the Early Learning Coalition of Manatee County’s newest mobile classroom: the ELC Explorer! The Explorer is unique to the ELC’s fleet of buses in that it is equipped with a special tailgate that allows wheelchair access onto the bus.
Adorned with images of cartoon children exploring, reading, and playing along with …
WORDS & PICTURES: Gabrielle Versmessen
Florida’s Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program (VPK) is a free educational program that prepares four-year-olds for kindergarten and beyond. Participating in VPK sets a student’s educational success for life. There are early literacy skills being taught as well as social-emotional skills that are being acquired.
In order to enroll in VPK, a child must live in Florida and be four on or before September 1st…
WORDS & PICTURES: Gabrielle Versmessen
Oftentimes, we don’t realize how much of a lasting impact a stranger can have on our lives, especially as a child. But most of us can recall at least one teacher or mentor who positively influenced us over the years. You can be that person to a child!
The Early Learning Coalition of Manatee County (ELC) offers the ReadingPals program to VPK children at local …
WORDS & PICTURES: Gabrielle Versmessen
April 7th marked the 75th De Soto Children’s Parade sponsored by the Early Learning Coalition of Manatee County (ELC). Children from all over gathered in Palmetto to watch a slew of handmade floats, performance acts, and conquistadors march down 10th Street to Sutton Park. The winning float for “Best Use of Theme” was designed by Palma Sola Elementary School.
It featured students …
WORDS & PICTURES: Gabrielle Versmessen
After one of the most unprecedented times in our country’s history in 2020, D C’s Child Care Center was at a loss for what to do. Short-staffed, unable to find anyone to hire, and about to close their doors for good, they reached out to the Early Learning Coalition of Manatee County.
“We called, said we’re about to shut down, and we didn’t know what …
WORDS & PICTURES: Gabrielle Versmessen
The Early Learning Taskforce held its first Transition to Kindergarten (T2K): Breakfast with a Purpose in January. The Breakfast sought to lay the foundation for a successful transition between prekindergarten and kindergarten for students.
The Taskforce is comprised of representatives from Step-Up Suncoast, the Manatee County School District, and the Early Learning Coalition of Manatee County. In attendance at the Breakfast were kindergarten teachers, VPK …
WORDS & PICTURES: Gabrielle Versmessen
Did you know that when you read to your child, even as an infant, you are essentially building their brain? There is a common misconception that just because an infant can’t talk or doesn’t react much while being read to, they’re not able to get anything from a book. However, this could not be further from the truth. You might feel hesitant or even awkward …
WORDS & PICTURES: Gabrielle Versmessen
Just eight months after becoming the Interim Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Early Learning Coalition of Manatee County following the sudden passing of long-time CEO Paul Sharff, Darrell King was officially appointed CEO by the Board of Directors on September 21st. Darrell has been with the ELC since January 2014, where he began as Director of Communications as well as Editor in Chief for …
WORDS: Gabrielle Versmessen
Eight years and now 50 issues later, Nextgen Family Magazine has been a massive success right from the start! Beginning as the brainchild of our late CEO, Paul Sharff, after seeing a small publication at his son’s orthodontist’s office that was full of advertisements, he wanted to create something that not only would advertise businesses and events but be a vehicle to showcase what the Early Learning …
WORDS: Gabrielle Versmessen
PICTURES: Whitney Patton
Early childhood education is an integral part of ensuring that students in our community are not only prepared for grade school but also excel in it. Our children begin learning at home, but all too soon, those little ones go off to child care, where their first experiences of a structured learning environment are formed.
Before becoming a mom, I thought child care was …
WORDS & PICTURES: Gabrielle Versmessen
“GO, SLOW, and WHOA!” are words one can hear children shouting when participating in the CATCH Early Childhood program. These catchphrases are readily recognized and easy to remember for young students when identifying healthful foods. Although the CATCH (Coordinated Approach to Child Health) program has been nationwide since 1988, Manatee CATCH has been around for about three years. The program is facilitated by the Early …
