From staff reports
Local students are participating in the Success By 6 kindergarten readiness program this summer following last year’s cancellation of the program due to the pandemic.
The United Way of Venango County is partnering with the Franklin, Oil City and Valley Grove school districts to bring the six-week program to their incoming kindergartners this summer.
The Success by 6 initiative, which is free to participants, helps combat poverty by providing quality early educational opportunities, according to a press release from the United Way.
Participating students will increase their proficiency in reading, math, language, social and fine motor skills while becoming familiar with the school learning environment and classroom structure.
The program is taught in district classrooms by certified teachers. Breakfast and lunch are provided to the students, and transportation is also being offered for the first time this year.
“We are proud of the measurable impact we are making in Venango County to improve kindergarten readiness, in partnership with the school districts,” said Will Price, executive director of United Way of Venango County.
Price added that when the program was researched, studied, planned and launched, it was key that United Way could track progress and have measurable results with testing.
“It has always shown that we were investing in a worthy program, one that is changing the lives of young children and their families,” Price said.
