Getting Ready for Kindergarten Calendar

The Getting Ready for Kindergarten Calendar is part of United Way’s School Readiness Initiative that falls under the Education focus, which concentrates on helping children and youth achieve their academic potential. The purpose of this calendar is to help ensure that children enter school ready learn.

In 2006, United Way collaborated with early childhood experts including social service agencies, government agencies, school districts, and local businesses to tackle the issue of children not being prepared for school. The group identified an opportunity to improve the support and training for parents and guardians of preschool children by developing the Getting Reading for Kindergarten Calendar. This 12-month school year calendar provides important school information, a progress checklist, local resources and fun activities to develop social, emotional and mental skills of preschoolers.

For the past five years, the calendars have been distributed – free of charge – during the month of August. The goal is to have a calendar in every household in McLean County with a four-year-old by September 1. The free calendars are made available at libraries, preschools, day care centers, schools, pediatric offices, government offices, and social service agencies. The cost of the calendar was covered by sponsorships from seventeen local businesses, social service agencies, school districts, and social organizations.

If your organization is interested in being a sponsor of the Getting Ready for Kindergarten Calendar, please contact Ashley Long, Director of Community Impact, by email at along@uwaymc.org or by phone at 828-7383.