Smart Start
Smart Start, the early learning division of United Way of Metropolitan Atlanta has joined forces with a coalition of early childhood advocates and professionals to implement four Early Reading First (ERF) grants throughout metropolitan Atlanta: DREAM, READERS, LIGHT and APPLE. The programs focus on low-income, preschool children with risks for reading difficulties, transforming our existing, good programs into programs of excellence. Over 80% of youth in our program areas qualify for free or reduced lunch, far exceeding the state average of 50%. To date, more than 1700 children in Dekalb, Fulton, and Cobb counties have been served.

The key indicator of a child's later success in school is their ability to read. The goal of ERF is to enhance the early language, literacy, and pre-reading development of young children, particularly those from low income families, through strategies and professional development that are grounded in Scientifically-Based Reading Research (SBRR) and family literacy.

The goal of our ERF programs is to increase teachers, assistants, administrators, and coaches knowledge and use of SBRR. A professional development plan was developed to systematically address early literacy skills essential to future reading success. To date, ERF professionals have received more than 2,500 hours of professional development delivered through seminars, field trips to model classrooms, study groups, in classroom- coaching, summer institute and local and national conferences.

The success of ERF programs can be measured by the quality of the classroom environment, child outcomes that assess the main skills predictive of reading success, and the professional development opportunities provided to classroom teachers, as well as the classroom environment and child outcomes. The use of valid assessment instruments is also a key component of ERF programs. This data allows us to gauge the progress of ERF children in obtaining the necessary skills to become successful readers and to show gains during program implementation.

Aspects of the projects include:

  • Implementing Opening the World of Learning (OWL), which is a 
    comprehensive, integrated curriculum.

  • Enhancing classroom learning environments.

  • Providing teachers with new ways to help children improve their language.

  • Providing coaching and early literacy training for teachers to help them
    fully integrate literacy throughout their classrooms.

  • Engaging families in their child's early reading experiences to reinforce these
    skills at home.  

Exciting new EEC Highlights:  

º Dennis Lockhart, president and chief executive officer of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, and co-chair of the Early Education Commission, recently presented a speech on February 16th, 2010 to the Atlanta Kiwanas Club stating, "One early sign of success of the Early Education Commission will be when people start saying 'Pre-K through 12' rather than 'K through 12'..."

Please click on link below to view write up of this speech by Maria Saporta from the Atlanta Business Chronicle entitled:  "Civic Leaders Working to Improve Early Ed"

º Dennis Lockhart also presented a speech at the Telluride Economic Summit on early childhood investment. 

Please click on the following link to view this speech entitled: "Early Childhood Education, Economic Development, and the Business Community"
    
º Additionally, from AJC.com, "Recent opinion pieces in The Atlanta Journal Constitution  have focused on how educational improvements can lead to a highly skilled workforce, which has significant implications for the long-term viability of the Atlanta metro region."   

Please click on the following link to view the most recent EEC op-ed piece in the AJC by Dennis Lockhart & Beverly Tatum entitled:

"Atlanta Poised to Lead Early Learning"

Additional SMART START Highlights:

Milton Little remembers early learning moments.....
United Way of Metropolitan Atlanta's President, Milton Little, remembers early learning moments in celebration of Month of the Child. Please click on the link below to view a clip of the video posted on the early learning toys website:
http://www.earlylearningtoys.net/296/milton-little-remembers-early-learning-moments/

Smart Start Open House
The Smart Start staff would like to thank everyone whom joined us for our Smart Start Open House event where a good time was had by all!  Lot’s of food, lot’s of networking, & most of all, lot’s of fun seeing grown folks playing in our state of the art Model Classroom donated by School Specialty Early Childhood (Childcraft).

Please click on the following link to view:
Photos from our Smart Start Open House November 2009
   
United Way of Metropolitan Atlanta helps break a world record!
UWMA participates in 2009 Read for the Record:
On October 8, United Way hosted several events across our metro area in conjunction with the 2009 Read for the Record campaign. The global goal of this campaign was to engage one million children and adults in reading the same book, The Very Hungry Caterpillar, and to draw attention to the early education crisis affecting millions of at-risk young children here in the U.S. and across the globe. The goal of one million was exceeded!

In addition, 5 READERS programs participated in the Read for the Record satellite event:  375 children were given the book, "The Very Hungry Caterpillar."

Please click the following link to view photos from this world record event:
Read for the Record 2009

2010 ERF Symposium: 
Due to inclement weather, Friday’s activities were cancelled.  However, we were able to host the symposium at the Loudermilk Conference Center and the family day event at the Auburn Avenue Research Library on Saturday.

Please click on the following links to view photos from both events, as well as copies of the Programs from both the ERF Symposium and the ERF Family Day Event:

2010 ERF Symposium and Family Day
2010_ERF Symposium Family Day Event_FINAL_Program
2010_ERF Symposium_FINAL_Program 

Upcoming Events:

Substitute Teacher Program (EESTP) Upcoming Classes:

March 15-19, 2010
8:30 AM – 3:30 PM
Application Deadline: March 3, 2010
City: Columbus
Counties: Chattahoochee, Harris, Muscogee, Talbot & nearby counties
Location: 1600 First Avenue, Columbus, Georgia 31901

March 29 - April 2, 2010
8:30 AM – 3:30 PM
Application Deadline: March 1, 2010
City: Douglasville
Counties: Cobb, Douglas, Paulding
Location: 6279 Fairburn Road, Douglasville, Georgia 30134

April 12 - 16, 2010
8:30 AM – 3:30 PM
Application Deadline: March 15, 2010
City: Forest Park
Counties: Butts, Clayton, Fayette
Location: 1000 Main Street, Forest Park, Georgia 30298

April 26 - 30, 2010
8:30 AM – 3:30 PM
Application Deadline: April 1, 2010
City: Atlanta
Counties: Fulton
Location: 399 Macedonia Road SE, Atlanta, Georgia 30354

May 10 - 14, 2010
8:30 AM – 3:30 PM
Application Deadline: April 15, 2010
City: Augusta
Counties: Burke, Columbia, McDuffie & nearby counties, Richmond
Location: 2801 Wilds Road, Augusta, Georgia 30909

May 24-28, 2010  - (SPANISH)
8:30 AM – 3:30 PM
Application Deadline: May 1, 2010
City: Suwanee
Counties: Fulton, Gwinnett
Location: 437 Old Peachtree Road NW, Suwanee, Georgia 30024

June 7-11, 2010
8:30 AM – 3:30 PM
Application Deadline: May 10, 2010
City: Marietta
Counties: Cherokee, Cobb, Douglas, Paulding
Location: 492 North Marietta Parkway, Marietta, Georgia 30060

June 21-25, 2010
8:30 AM – 3:30 PM
Application Deadline: May 20, 2010
City: Newnan
Counties: Coweta, Fulton
Location: 167 Werz Industrial Drive, Newnan, Georgia 30263

Additional Resources:

For more information about the Early Education Substitute Teacher program, please visit our website @   http://www.ecegasubs.org