Families in the Groton Area School District are eligible to participate in a no-cost Kindergarten Readiness program. This unique opportunity for South Dakota families allows for participation in the Waterford UPSTART program to support home-based kindergarten readiness delivered via technology.
This program, sponsored by a US Department of Education grant, is free of charge to families. This grant is focused on providing services to 250 children in the 2020-2021 school year.
To be eligible, children must have a birth date between 9/16/2015 and 9/15/2016. Families can register for Waterford UPSTART directly by completing the pre-registration form online at www.waterfordupstart.org or by calling 1-888-982-9898.
Through involvement in the program, families will receive
- Research-based, award-winning instruction delivered to each child for 15-20 minutes daily
- Weekly family support through a family education liaison to encourage the family through literacy knowledge, preparation for supporting a school-age child, and usage tracking.
- All necessary hardware, software, and infrastructure for each family (including a laptop computer for each family, software, and internet when needed).
- Software licenses for all children in the home, including those who are not participating in the program directly, but may require additional reading, math, and science support.
For a program flyer, click here.