EARLY EDUCATION READY FOR SCHOOL, READY FOR LIFE In collaboration with the Bainum Family Foundation, UPO’s Office of Early Learning (OEL) took a holistic approach to build the capacity of child development centers in Washington, D.C.’s Wards 7 and 8 around family engagement and support. In greater detail, UPO OEL performed continuous coaching assessments to drive classroom instruction to improve staff/child classroom interactions. They also conducted Early Learning Parenting Trainings based on both child and family-needs assessments, administered Early Learning Classroom Engagement Workshops, and facilitated Early Learning Reflection Sessions to evaluate staff, child and family progress based on predetermined program objectives and desired outcomes. UPO’s OEL is one of the District’s largest providers of comprehensive support to help prepare infants, toddlers and their families for the “Ready for School, Ready for Life” early childhood model.
660 TOTAL NUMBER OF OEL CHILDREN SERVED EARLY HEAD START & HEAD START
580 TOTAL NUMBER OF OEL FAMILIES SERVED EARLY HEAD START & HEAD START
OFFICE OF EARLY LEARNING (OEL) EDUCATED PARENTS ON CHILDREN’S HEALTH
79 TOTAL NUMBER OF PARENTS & CHILDREN ATTENDED SOCIALIZATION WORKSHOP AWARD-WINNING TEACHING ENVIRONMENTS Four UPO early learning classrooms received awards at “It Takes a City: DC Does it Best” institute hosted by the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE). The award-winning classrooms—Anacostia High School, Ballou High School, Edgewood and Marie Reed were recognized for earning excellent scores through an industryrecognized classroom assessment scoring system.
In August, UPO was awarded a grant from the Mayor’s Office of Latino Affairs to conduct more early learning socialization events for our customers. Throughout September, health-focused activities were held to educate parents on nutrition, baby checkups, immunizations and developmental stages. UPO’s home-based programs, taught in Spanish and English, work with parents in a collaborative effort to provide support services in the home for pregnant moms and families with young children. These programs include coordination and promotion of parent education, parent/child wellness, and age appropriate development screenings. Families are also engaged in parent-child socialization/playgroups.
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OEL EARLY LEARNING CENTERS 15
