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| Community Budget Issue Requests - Tracking Id #684 |
| Bringing Hands-On Science to the Voluntary Pre-K Classroom |
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| Requester: |
D. Keith Winsten, Executive Di |
Organization: |
Brevard Zoo, East Zoological Society of Florida on behalf of the Board of Directors |
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| Project Title: |
Bringing Hands-On Science to the Voluntary Pre-K Classroom |
Date Submitted |
1/10/2006 12:14:51 PM |
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| Sponsors: |
Posey |
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| Statewide Interest: |
| The state's voluntary pre-Kindergarten program went into effect at the beginning of the current school year. One of the earliest findings is that although this program offers new educational opportunities to many deserving children, it also limits childcare providers' ability to offer fieldtrips since all parental payments are on a voluntary basis. This means fewer authentic opportunities for Pre-K participants to experience science and nature. These topics are critical to a child's development since they activate children's sense of wonder and curiosity and teach important character traits such as empathy.
Only a few months into the program, there are approximately 130 private providers serving 3,000 children as part of the voluntary Pre-K program in Brevard County. The model we plan to use for creating classroom and schoolyard-based centers for science exploration
* builds teacher capabilities to bring hands-on learning into their classrooms;
* is sustainable; and
* can be easily duplicated at a state level.
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| Recipient: |
Brevard Zoo |
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Contact: |
D. Keith Winsten |
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8225 North Wickham Road |
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Contact Phone: |
(321) 254-9453 |
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Melbourne 32940 |
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Contact email: |
kwinsten@brevardzoo.org |
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| Counties: |
Brevard |
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| Gov't Entity: |
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Private Organization (Profit/Not for Profit): |
Yes |
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| Project Description: |
| The Opportunity:
Although the financial barriers make it challenging to bring Pre-K students to science settings, it is possible to provide hands-on nature experiences in the classroom and in the school yard. Through the use of science/nature activity centers and "classroom" fieldtrips, students can have authentic experiences without leaving school. However, early childhood teachers need training and model activities in order to bring science and nature to their students.
The Solution:
The Education Department at Brevard Zoo currently offers a range of science-based programs to elementary and middle school students. These programs include classes at the zoo, exploration of the Indian River Lagoon and outreach to local schools. The zoo would like to serve the early childhood community by creating developmentally- appropriate activities and activity centers for pre-K classrooms. To achieve this, the zoo would add an early childhood professional to the staff. This specialist would create programs and materials, administer pilot classes, modify as needed and create final versions for dissemination. The specialist would then train early childhood providers on how to use the materials and would model activities in individual classrooms.
In order to align with what children can easily observe during their everyday lives and with content taught during the primary years,nature content would be organized on a seasonal basis. Brevard Zoo would create a series of fall, winter, spring and summer nature activities. The activities would be piloted with Pre-K students at the zoo and modified as needed. These activities would form the basis for the professional development segment of the program.
Through a partnership with the Early Learning Coalition of Brevard and their training provider, Devereux Florida, teachers from voluntary Pre-K programs throughout the county would then be trained to run these successfully tested science activities in their classrooms. Brevard Zoo's early childhood expert would offer eight six-hour training sessions annually and follow-up sessions in individual classrooms throughout the county. Training materials would be provided for each teacher as part of the program.
This program is sustainable, because after the initial two development years, fee-based early childhood programs at the zoo will pay the cost of the early childhood specialist. The specialist, in turn, can continue to create new activities and offer professional development sessions at little or no charge.
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| Is this a project related to a federal or state declared disaster? |
No |
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| Measurable Outcome Anticipated: |
| Over the course of the first two years, we anticipate that 480 voluntary Pre-K providers will participate in the training. These providers in turn will teach 9,600 students on a daily basis. In addition, the model created through this program can be disseminated to voluntary Pre-K providers throughout the state. |
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| Amount requested from the State for this project this year: |
$63,858 |
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| Total cost of the project: |
$98,463 |
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| Request has been made to fund: |
Operations |
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| What type of match exists for this project? |
Private |
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Cash Amount |
$ |
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In-kind Amount |
$34,605 |
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| Was this project previously funded by the state? |
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No |
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| Is future-year funding likely to be requested? |
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No |
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| Was this project included in an Agency's Budget Request? |
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No |
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| Was this project included in the Governor's Recommended Budget? |
No |
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| Is there a documented need for this project? |
Yes |
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Documentation: |
Unforeseen consequence of new program |
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| Was this project request heard before a publicly noticed meeting of a body of elected officials (municipal, county, or state)? |
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Yes |
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Hearing Body: |
Brevard County Delegation |
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Hearing Meeting Date: |
11/30/2005 |
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| Is this a water project as described in Section 403.885, Laws of Florida? |
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No |
