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PEOPLE
Educatio n
i n the Te l lu ride Reg io n Beyond the 3 Rs ... Beyond the Classroom
by Susan Viebrock of Telluride Inside... and Out
BIG PICTURE: TELLURIDE DELIVERS BASIC BRICKS & MORTAR EDUCATION WITH EXCELLENCE, BUT LEARNING IS ALL ABOUT LEVERAGING THE REGION'S UNIQUE ASSETS – SMALL SIZE, BIG MOUNTAINS, NATURAL BEAUTY, BRAIN TRUST, DEEP POCKETS, DEPTH AND BREADTH OF NON PROFITS – TO PROVIDE CUSTOMIZED AND POTENTIALLY LIFE-CHANGING EXPERIENCES FOR STUDENTS OF ALL AGES, INCLUDING THE VERY YOUNG, WHEN IC(UTE) IS AN IMPORTANT MEASURE.
TRADITIONAL EDUCATION, IN NAME ONLY: BRIGHT FUTURES, R-1 SCHOOL DISTRICT & THE MOUNTAIN SCHOOL: Bright Futures: Leg up for the formative years, 18 months – 5 years In one throat-clearing paragraph in his inaugural address, President Obama 86ed the tired (and false) notion that education begins at five and made bold-faced what the research has long indicated: a child’s quality of life and the contributions he or she will make to society can be directly traced to the first few years of life, back to those first 2,000 days. In other words, you are largely who you are by age 5. We know through research that high-quality early education yields higher graduation rates, reduced crime, higher earnings, and better jobs. As a result, economists estimate that every dollar invested in early education produces a 10% return on investment through increased personal achievement and social productivity and a $7 savings down the line, facts which require a profound act of critical self-noticing for parents. Early childhood investments are known to produce sustained results at the local, state, and national level, critical to keeping the United States competitive in a global market. Enter "Bright Futures for Early Childhood and Families," the Telluride-based child care resource and referral agency for San Miguel, Delta, Montrose, and Ouray counties. "Bright Futures" is one of 30 early childhood councils in the state of Colorado charged with helping to develop systems of support in each county for early care and education, health, mental health, and family concerns. For the past seven years, the organization has been run by executive director Cathy James. Cathy has lived in Telluride for 35 years. She taught kindergarten at the Telluride Elementary School for eight years. She wrote grants for the school district for six years. Her best credential for the job? Cathy is the mother of three super smart, productive adults and four awesome grandchildren. "In 1950, 2 out of 10 women worked. Today, 8 out of 10 mothers work full time," explained Cathy.
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To support working parents, Telluride currently has 10 programs serving children and their families. Three centers feature toddler programs, serving children 18 months – 3 years. Seven centers are pre-school, serving children ages 3 – 5, helping them prepare for kindergarten. Each program offers an academic component, but with its own unique spin. One program stresses art, music and world peace; one is a strong Montessori environment; others deliver social, emotional and experiential education, including walkabouts to explore Telluride's environment. All of the programs are licensed by the State of Colorado and childcare providers receive at least 15 hours of continuing education. All receive strong support by local parents and the community. The programs are as follows: Telluride • Montessori at Mountain School: Preschool for ages 3-5, serving 34 children • Rainbow: Preschool serving 3-5, 38 children • Mountain Sprouts: Preschool for ages 3-5 years, 14 children, stressing art, music, world peace • Telluride Early Childhood Center (TECC) at the public school: Preschool for ages 3-5 years, 22 children • Telluride Preschool: Ages 3-5 years, serving 29 children • Rascals: Toddlers 18 months – 3 years, serving 22 children at Lawson Hill • Toddler Town: 18 months – 3 years, 12 children Mountain Village • Mountain Munchkins: Infants, toddlers, preschool, serving 60 children. In addition to the aforementioned programs, the Telluride region offers a wide range of enrichment activities for children of all ages (detailed below and expanded upon throughout the article), even activities for birth – 5, such as the following: • Comets: Ski lessons for 3 – 5 year olds • Telluride Town Park: Swimming lessons for ages 2 – 5 • Gymnastics/Cross-Fit: Offered at Lawson Hill • Art and music classes: See details below for the Ah Haa School • Palm Dance: Details below, but starting at age 2 • Wilkinson Public Library: Story Hour, birth – 5 (See below for much more on youth programs at the Wilkinson) To learn more, go to www.BrightFuturesForChildren.org or call 1-877-728-5613 (or locally, 970-728-5613).
Bright Futures
As we continue to paint by the numbers, the picture in the Telluride region remains very pretty…