Building a stronger community in a "United Way"

Johnny was the first one to arrive, anxiously waiting at the registration table to find out how he could get started with all the activities. I explained the process in detail as he listened intently.  At that moment, Johnny had become our 10x the Fun ambassador.  I heard him instructing other children how to join in on the activities, both inside and outside.  He was assisting a younger child with fishing – “There is a magnet on the end of the pole that helps catch the fish. This is how you do it.”

Educational events like 10x the Fun promote early literacy and help young children develop the skills they need to arrive at school ready to learn so they are reading proficiently by third grade – a key predictor of their future success in school and life. Simply stated, up to third grade, children learn to read; after third grade children read to learn!

Berkshire United Way’s Pittsfield Promise joined the Zion Lutheran Church to host 10x the Fun as part of Cultural Pittsfield’s 10x10 Upstreet Winter Arts Festival.  I'd like to give special thanks to the following who gave their time and talent to make the event such a success: Berkshire County Head Start; Berkshire North WIC (Women, Infants & Children); Berkshire Nursing Families; Child Care of the Berkshires; Department of Children and Families; KidZone; the Pittsfield Parks Department and Zion Lutheran Church.

Together we are building a stronger community in a “United Way.”

Karen Vogel
Director of Community Impact

berkshireunitedway.org

Keeping our promise to give every child a successful start

Six years ago, Pittsfield Promise introduced us to story of a young child named Marquis born to a young, single mother, named Tina. Tina was living with her grandmother and had limited access to resources in the community, and very little support at home to help raise her child.  Marquis arrived at Kindergarten lacking many of the skills needed to be successful in school; he was significantly behind his peers.  

If Marquis were born today, Tina would have immediately been connected to a home visiting program by the hospital.  The home visiting program would provide intensive weekly sessions with Tina, providing her with parenting skills, and knowledge about child development.  They would connect her to housing, and food pantries to meet some of her basic needs.  As Tina’s confidence grew as a parent, along with the promise to secure a better life for her child, she’d decide to go back to work; she’d be connected to a training program and child care.  The child care center would provide monthly family nights; Tina would build friendships and a support network with the families there.  Reports from teachers would show that Marquis was progressing nicely and offer some suggestions to continue his development at home.  Tina would carve out an extra 30 minutes in her day to read to him daily, and on weekends, they’d attend the library, museum, and free community events. As Marquis entered kindergarten he received a screening during his first week of school and scored in the in the 80^th percentile of his class.  

Cynthia Segui, Coordinator of the Berkshire United Way funded Parent-Child Home Program at Community Health Programs, reads to a local child during a home visit.

Since 2012, we have mobilized community partners to assure our young families have a strong start, yet less than 50% of our students reading proficiently by 3^rd Grade. What have we missed?  Berkshire United Way is working with a nationally recognized research firm with support of a grant from the Tri-Mix Foundation to help answer this question.  Through a mix of anonymous parent surveys, focus groups, interviews with key stakeholders, and research of national models, we plan to understand what is working for our families and what is not.  We want to keep our promise, to make sure that every child, like Marquis, has a successful start in life.  

Please join us at our next Pittsfield Promise meeting on January 11^th at 8:30 am at the Family Resource Center to us build a family strong community.  Contact Karen Vogel at kvogel@berkshireunitedway.org for more information.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Stephanie Adornetto
Coordinator of Early Childhood Development

Community rallies to prepare children for kindergarten

Do you remember how you felt the first time a school bus rolled to a stop and you bid farewell to your backpack-bearing child?  Perhaps you were biting your lip to stop your tears from spilling over as butterflies flitted about inside.

Every parent wants their child to have a great experience at school – to learn new things, make new friends, and remain excited about going every single day. After all, you’ve prepared for this day for quite some time. But did you know school success begins long before that first day? Pittsfield Promise, a Berkshire United Way-led coalition made up of community members from various community sectors, is committed to helping every child get the skills they need to succeed.

On April 6^th, eighteen tables staffed by 20 volunteers from local agencies that work with young children, gathered in the community room at the Berkshire Athenaeum for the sixth annual School Readiness Fair. When the doors opened at 10:30 in the morning, over 15 families were lined up, ready to engage in fun, educational activities designed to foster kindergarten readiness skills.

Activities—all of which can be replicated at home—included making puppets and retelling stories, creating buildings and animals with household items and tape, using bingo markers to trace letters, and rolling dice to identify numbers. Highlights of the event included using Ozobots (tiny robots) used to learn simple coding, riding a school bus for the first time and participating in a free developmental screening called Ages and Stages.

Kelly Bevan McIlquham of Berkshires Macaroni kids helps a young child trace letters with a bingo marker. This was just one of several activities offered at the recent School Readiness Fair held at the Berkshire Athenaeum.

Completing the Ages and Stages screening helps children, aged birth to five, get the best start in life. This simple developmental questionnaire asks you about skills most kids have at that age, to help determine if your child is on track. If s/he needs a little extra practice in a specific area, a Child and Family Community Engagement Coordinator will identify activities you can do to help set your child up for success. 

To schedule a free screening, call Jenn Faulconer at 413.441.0974. After the screening is completed, activities will be suggested to support your child’s growth at home and in the community, creating a path to school readiness.

Stephanie Adornetto

Coordinator of Early Childhood Development

Beating the winter blues!

Is winter getting your down? Are your children begging for some fun? We’ve got the “cure” for you!

Berkshire United Way is joining members of the Pittsfield Promise Coalition and the Zion Lutheran Church for 10x the Fun on Saturday, February 24th, from 4-6 p.m. at the First Street Common and Zion Lutheran Church in Pittsfield.  Part of Cultural Pittsfield’s 10X10 Upstreet Winter Arts Festival, 10x the Fun is an Olympic-themed, family-friendly event offering FREE entertainment, indoor and outdoor activities, and light fare.

A mother and her child complete an arts and crafts activity at a Berkshire United Way event held at the Zion Lutheran Church.

Indoor activities include dance and music performances, corn hole, arts and crafts, and face painting, while revelers will have an opportunity to participate in an obstacle course and javelin throw outside. Bring the whole family - you may just win one of our giveaways; and be sure to bring a camera for photo opportunities with Belle - Beauty of the Berkshires.

Immediately following the event, there will be a 10-minute fireworks display at The Common, so dress warm and plan to have some good, old-fashioned family fun!

To beat the winter blues beyond this weekend’s event, be sure to follow Berkshire United Way’s Facebook page for future events and ideas.

I hope to see you soon!

Stephanie
Coordinator of Early Childhood Development