Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Early Childhood Education topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Raising Readers reports enrollment gains after program redesign; program expansion planned for Cambridge and Nevada
Summary
Raising Readers reported that a redesign of its Small Talk program to a workshop/play-based model produced its best enrollment, attendance and graduation rates in five years, and the group plans to expand a new family workshop series to Cambridge and Nevada this summer.
Christy Mayo, executive director of Raising Readers, updated the Story County Board of Supervisors on May 20 about program changes and expansion.
Mayo said the Small Talk family education program shifted to a workshop-based, play-focused delivery this year to model interactive caregiver-child talk and boost engagement. "Since the format change, we've recorded the highest enrollment, attendance, and graduation rates in the past five years," Mayo said. She reported about 30 families completed Small Talk cohorts this fiscal year across three cohorts, with another cohort of roughly 10 families already enrolled before the fiscal year ended.
Mayo also described a new Playful Pages family workshop pilot that is expanding this summer to Cambridge and Nevada after a successful pilot in Ames. In addition, Raising Readers added a prenatal literacy component in partnership with obstetrics providers that delivers a literacy packet and messaging during prenatal visits; Mayo said feedback from expectant families has been highly positive.
Board members asked about virtual options and attendance: Mayo said the Small Talk workshop is still offered virtually for families facing transportation or schedule barriers, though in-person programming now predominates and virtual attendance has decreased. She said retention after the delivery-mode change was strong; of roughly 30 enrolled families, only two dropped out for scheduling or other reasons.
Board members thanked Mayo and encouraged continued outreach to outlying parts of the county.
