The Bosch Community Fund has awarded a $10,000 grant to Craven Smart Start, Inc. to incorporate STEM activities into their Raising A Reader program, which will be working with four childcare centers and two family child care homes for the 2020-2021 program year. This makes the third year that Craven Smart Start has received a grant award from the Bosch Community Fund to incorporate STEM concepts and materials into the Raising A Reader program.
Raising A Reader typically works on a weekly book bag rotation delivery system with each participating child taking home a book bag, filled with books, for their parent to read with them. This year, with concerns about the pandemic, the program will be implemented through a hybrid model, with both remote and in-person instruction. The goal is to provide materials and then weekly readings. STEM activities and workshops will be done online. The six child care facilities that have been selected to participate include Excel Learning Center 1; Excel Learning Center 7; Child Care Network # 77 and A Touch of Love Family Child Care Home, all in New Bern, and Excel Learning Center 6 and Paula’s Day Care Home, both in Havelock.
The Bosch Community Fund, the U.S. based foundation for Bosch, has awarded over 20 million in grants to various 501 (c) (3) organizations and educational institutions. The BCF focuses primarily on the enrichment of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education and the advancement of environmental sustainability initiatives.
Smart Start is a 501©3 public private partnership that administers the funding and programs of Smart Start. Their mission is to build brighter futures for young children by laying a strong foundation for lifetime learning and by preparing them for school success. Craven Smart Start initiates and funds programs that address kindergarten readiness and collaborates with other community organizations that support the development of children, birth to five, and their families in Craven County. To learn more about Craven Smart Start, visit their website at cravensmartstart.org.
By Pinkie S. Moore, Community Outreach Coordinator, Craven Smart Start, Inc.