WCPC Awarded Sisters of Mercy Grant
Sisters of Mercy of North Carolina Legacy has awarded $30,000 to Wilkes Community Partnership for Children for the Wilkes County Kindergarten Readiness Initiative.
This grant will fund programs aimed at promoting kindergarten readiness among preschool-aged children in Wilkes County. Wilkes Community Partnership for Children will establish six regional sites for a program aimed at serving families of three- and four-year-old children. This program, called Ready, Set, Learn, is a half-day program for parents and caregivers to participate in with their children as they learn about kindergarten readiness. This program will be free to all participating families, and each family will receive a toolkit of free resources and training to promote kindergarten readiness at home.
This grant also supports Camp Jump Start, which is a summer program for parents and caregivers of children entering kindergarten. Camp Jump Start will take place in eight Wilkes County elementary schools in the summer of 2024. This free program will be a fun time for families and children to come to their local school, meet the school administrators, and learn about how children can be ready to succeed when they enter kindergarten.
Wilkes Community Partnership for Children Literacy Coordinator, Dr. Jodi Weatherman, stated, “We are beyond excited that Sisters of Mercy chose to provide our Kindergarten Readiness Initiative with such a generous gift. Our goal is to help the children of Wilkes County be prepared for school success. Kindergarten readiness refers to the skills and abilities related to fine and gross motor skills, social-emotional, reading, math, language and problem solving. Thanks to Sisters of Mercy of North Carolina Legacy, our initiatives will offer opportunities for children and families to develop skills in each of these areas before they start kindergarten.”
According to their website, Sisters of Mercy of North Carolina Legacy seeks to improve the quality of life for the economically poor, especially women, children, and elderly, by supporting effective education, health care and social service organizations that have systemic impact and empower those without a voice. Their grant-making goal is to give those experiencing poverty access to services and opportunities that foster self-sufficiency and self-determination, and transform the quality of their lives in a sustainable way. This generous grant to Wilkes Community Partnership for Children will be matched by an anonymous donor committed to the Kindergarten Readiness Initiative.