Brief project description:
130 discovery kits were made available to preschoolers, their parents and day-care providers at four system libraries.

Needs addressed:
Discovery Kits were designed to help with the educational and language development of preschoolers, especially at risk preschoolers at area day care centers.

Target audience:

• At risk preschoolers – estimated at 8% of the 7,000 preschoolers in the Amherst area.
• Preschoolers of residents who do not speak English as their primary language – approximately 11,000 residents.

Community partners and their roles:

• Amherst Central School District, Sweet Home School District , Williamsville School District - advised how kits could be coordinated with school curriculum
• Local day care centers – advised how to use with day care programming; how to reach target audience.

Specific activities:

• Planning meetings held with school and community partners.
• Promotional flyers distributed to all circulating and cooperating agencies
• Discovery Kits assembled and made available at four library sites
• 12 workshops held for parents and day care providers

Staffing:
The library absorbed the cost of the staffing time required to acquire and process all the materials for the discovery kits. Staff time required was "a great deal more than they had anticipated."

Costs:

• Supplies and Materials - $11,276.

Evaluation:

• Quantitative Measures – tracking system to monitor kit use, quantitative surveys Qualitative Measures - surveys distributed with each kit, partner agencies surveyed for evaluation of program’s strengths and weaknesses

Changes/recommendations:

• increase contacts as much as possible with day care centers
• anticipate that it will require a lot of staff time and expertise to assemble the kits
• allow more money for kits

Categories of service:

1. Learning Kits
2. Kindergarten Readiness
3. Service to Foreign Language Speaking Families
4. Parent Education

Last modified on February 29, 2000/djr
URL: http://www.nysl.nysed.gov/libdev/parchld/amherst.htm