United Way working on pre-k education initiative for Southeastern Idaho

“Cradle to Career.”

That’s the new education initiative by the United Way of Southeastern Idaho. It kicked off Thursday with a large donation from the Monsanto Fund.

Monsanto donated a check for $13,500 to help with the initiative. United Way said the goal of the program is to focus on early childhood education programs and activities, like preschool. One goal is to prepare kids and have them at grade level before going into kindergarten and first grade.

Both Monsanto and United Way said early childhood education is key to a child’s future.

“Studies have shown that when they have the opportunity to get better preparation, then they perform better early in school and that extends through the rest of their education,” said Roger Gibson, Soda Springs Plant Manager for Monsanto.

“Working with kids before the even get into kindergarten is one of the best investments we can make in our community because kids’ brains are forming from that very first day they’re born until about the age of 3,” said Margaret Ganyo, executive director of United Way. “Eighty-five percent of their neuro pathways are forming, so if we can catch them in those early years, we give them such a stronger start.”

Ganyo said research has shown that if kids aren’t reading proficiently by third grade, they are four times more likely to drop out of high school.

So she said that’s another long-term goal of the initiative – to help kids get their high school diplomas.

Parents agree that preschool and early education programs are beneficial.

“I think it will help them because it will help with the interaction, it helps them with their manners with their teacher, with the kids, how to treat other kids,” said Brittany Christiansen, who said preschool really helped her oldest child. “It also helps with their learning because they start doing reading and stuff and that helped way better going into kindergarten.”

Gaetan Burgaud said after his family moved to the states from France, preschool made a difference for his daughter.

“It was really beneficial,” Burguad said. “It was quite interesting to see that she wasn’t able to speak English when she arrive here. And after a few weeks, she was able to speak English, she was able to count, and so that was quite interesting.”

United Way said this initiative will take both public and private supporters. So this donation from Monsanto is a huge kick start to progressing pre-k education.

“We’re grateful not just for the funding, but for the leadership they’re showing,” Ganyo said.

Ganyo said the money will help about 1,100 kids this year. She says the money will be distributed to help all seven counties in Southeastern Idaho.