Listening to People Across Community to better understand the needs Rural Bedroom Community near Aspen, CO Small towns of less than 10,000 people Big increase in Latino population over 10 years Many feel isolated & unwelcome in schools Less than 1% children attend preschool Transportation barriers Language & cultural barriers Slide 1

3 Mobile Preschool Buses “El Busesito” GOAL: Improve school readiness & elementary school achievement 8 Kids:Two Teachers. 2.5 hour class, twice/week. 96 Students/year, Monthly Parent Meetings. Slide 2

Parent Mentor Program Train Latino Parents to Volunteer in Classroom Commitment to two hours/day, five days/week includes weekly training for whole school year. Intensive training, goal setting in August Break down cultural barriers Personal growth Provides key support to Monolingual Latino kids Slide 3

OUTCOMESOUTCOMES EL BUSESITO Improves school readiness prior to Kindergarten and identifies kids with special needs much earlier. Able to prioritize highest need 4 year olds. PARENT MENTORS Parents become engaged in school. Parents learn to set goals & learn English quickly. % Exceeding Expectations Slide 4 *Teaching Strategies Gold Assessment Data

LESSONS LEARNED – NEXT STEPS TWO – GENERATION APPROACH WORKS LISTEN CAREFULLY BEFORE PROGRAM DESIGN LISTEN to PARTICIPANTS and STAFF Respond with changes as needed e.g.: Expanded El Busesito preschool classes from 90 minutes to 2.5 hours. Created Adult Basic Education in Spanish Expansion of Healthy Eating & Better Access to Low Cost Healthcare Slide 5