It turns out that Green Eggs and Ham really are important for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Dr. Seuss and other beloved children’s writers inherently knew the significance of reading to children in their first few years. In fact, research indicates that children ages from birth to age five have more capacity to learn than at any other time in their school careers.

At Panhandle Alliance for Education (PAFE) in Bonner County, Idaho, the Ready! for Kindergarten program gives children a solid foundation for learning at an early age, leading to future success in the classroom. In the fall of 2008, PAFE received a $5,000 grant from the Florence Wasmer Fund for Children and Families at INWCF to provide parent-child classes and materials to promote early childhood learning through the Ready! for Kindergarten program. With this funding, PAFE provided parents and/or primary caregivers of children from birth to age five free classes on subjects such as “How and Why to Read Aloud,” “Brain Development,” and “Logic and Numbers.” All the classes were taught by certified teachers. Children of parents who attend all the classes receive a free book in the mail every month from the Dolly Parton Foundation.

Marcia Wilson, Executive Director of PAFE, explains: “Our first INWCF grant of $5,000 was extremely encouraging. It not only helped us launch the program in the first year, but we realized that others recognized the value of early childhood literacy as well. The Ready! program proved itself with an overwhelming response from our community.”

In the spring of 2009, the Ready! for Kindergarten program received an additional $30,000 Community Strategies grant paid from three funds at INWCF: Margaret F. Galbraith Fund, Doris L. and Neil J. Kenney Bonner County Community Projects Fund and the Bonner and Boundary Fund. This grant will enable PAFE to reach their goal of supporting more than 150 families in the Ready! program, doubling their capacity from year one.

PAFE’s mission is to promote excellence in education and broad-based community support for Lake Pend Oreille School District. Formed in 2002 by a small group of citizens concerned about their public schools, PAFE has made large strides in a very short amount of time. With a part-time staff of three, and a volunteer support system of more than 200, their mission is hard at work every day to support these children.

Dr. Seuss himself was aware that there certainly are places to go, and with PAFE in Sandpoint, many children surely have a better chance of getting there.

 
“You won’t lag behind, because you’ll have the speed.
You’ll pass the whole gang and you’ll soon take the lead.
Wherever you fly, you’ll be the best of the best.
Wherever you go, you will top all the rest.”

Oh, the Places You’ll Go, by Dr. Seuss

For more information about PAFE, please visit their Web site at www.panhandlealliance.org.