Waterford Upstart introduces free online preschool program to Bluff council; asks for event access to reach families

Tekola Madison, a Waterford Upstart representative and San Juan County employee, introduced the council to Waterford Upstart, an online early-education program for children ages 4 to 8 that seeks to increase family-led literacy practice.

Madison said the program requires roughly 15 minutes of parent-led activity five days a week and that participating families receive a free laptop and hotspot while enrolled. “They work with kids 4 to 8 years old, and they're highly encouraging parents to become educators,” Madison said, adding that the program provides a coach and technical support. She stated the program is funded by the Utah Legislature and is free to participating families.

Madison asked the council to consider creating or expanding community resource events where program staff could demonstrate the curriculum, help families register, and answer questions. Council members and community attendees said they would look for opportunities to share flyers at public bulletin boards and at town events; the town manager noted staff would consider the suggestion when planning upcoming events.

Background

Madison said Waterford Upstart partners with the San Juan County School District to reach local families and that state funding supports device and service provision for participating households. She said families may discontinue participation at any time and that the program’s goal is to boost reading scores by engaging parents as educators.

Council response and next steps

Council members thanked Madison for the presentation; staff agreed to circulate the program flyers and consider including Waterford Upstart at town resource events. Madison offered to provide follow-up materials and to assist families with on-site registration if the town schedules outreach events.