$1,000-$5,000

At this level of support, you and your business can:

• Fund a scholarship for under-prepared child to attend all-day Kindergarten in Edina. Studies have shown that children who are English language learners or who are living in poverty are most likely to benefit from all-day kindergarten, yet they are the least able and least likely to attend all-day kindergarten.
• Fund a scholarship for a child to attend a year of preschool. Many families cannot afford preschool, but do not meet county guidelines for assistance. Some preschoolers whose family does meet assistance guidelines are prevented from attending preschool because of the long waiting lists for financial assistance.
• Translate the 20-page ECSE Parent Handbook and the 20-page ECSE Parent Introductory Guide into Somali and Hindi, to reflect the changing Edina population.

$500-$1000

At this level, you and your business can:

• Fund staff development initiatives: support a staff person who would like to attend a conference on literacy or diversity. Pay for the necessary substitute teachers and other costs
• Develop a toy-lending library for Early Childhood Special Education families, so that families can carry on the techniques modeled by visiting staff in the student’s home
• Purchase pre-literacy, pre-math and early science materials and curricula, adapted and appropriate for children with special needs
• Fund evening, family-based activities (musicians, storytellers, puppets and speakers) for families with children with special needs
• Fund specialized childcare for children with special needs, so that their parents can attend parent support groups

Less than $500

At this level, you and your business can:

• Fund a scholarship for a child to attend a summer enrichment program-- at the YMCA, the Edina Community Education Program, or elsewhere
• Purchase or donate supplies for a classroom: these supplies might include books, paint, markers, crayons, etc.
• Replenish school supplies for a family mid-year: school supplies do not last all year, yet school supply assistance programs are only available at the beginning of the year.
• Sponsor a classroom enrichment field trip to a theater or a concert or a museum
• Update and expand the Parent Resource Lending Library for parents of children with special needs
• Fund a pilot program to make connections between the Early Childhood classroom at the Edina High School and the Edina Family Center preschool program.
• Fund a staff development program to get pre-school and kindergarten teachers together

Offer on-site parenting classes at your business

For more information,
contact the Edina Family Center
952-848-3949.  The Edina Family Center offers Workplace Family Education Seminars. For more information, email your request to edinafamctr@edina.k12.mn.us

Encourage your employees to volunteer to help preschool children who need help with English in their classrooms
Recognize and reward your employees for the time they spend on these projects

For more information,
contact Mary Streier
coordinator of Edina School Readiness
952-848-3985

Encourage your employees to become reading and math mentors for students who need extra support
Recognize and reward your employees for the time they spend on these projects

For more information,
contact Valerie Burke
at the Edina Resource Center
952-848-3936

Visit the MN Business for Early Learning website for more ideas on how to make your workplace Early-Learning friendly.

MNBel's Best Practices for Early Learning.