It's exciting to enhance our programs for young children by combining our efforts and strengths with other agencies in our community.
The Kansas Head Start Association (KHSA), through an Early Childhood Block Grant from the Kansas Children's Cabinet and Trust Fund, is creating demonstration models to guide the development of the Kansas Preschool Program (KPP). The models will complement the work of the KPP Practitioner and Policy Groups, led by the Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE), a key partner in this grant project.
In Spring 2009, local teams of early childhood stakeholders in three diverse communities - Coffeyville, Liberal, and Rossville - developed strategic plans with an outside facilitator and forged community partnerships. Programs got underway in August 2009. The demonstration models brought together school district Four-Year-Old programs, Head Start, special needs and child care into integrated classrooms. All grant team members meet bimonthly. Local community partnership teams meet monthly or more frequently, as needed.
What is the goal?
The goal is to learn from these demonstration programs and to provide support for other communities as they build community partnerships for preschool programs. This web site is the initial repository of the demonstration program’s resources, including tools and templates, which will be useful in expanding collaborative preschool services across the state.
Ways to get more information about the partners…
Here is a list of the grant partners who are implementing the demonstration learning communities’ project.
- To learn more about grant partner agencies, organizations or school districts, click on the links below.
- To communicate with a grant team member, use the contact information given.
- To learn more about the preschool partnerships in each community, go to "What’s happening in the demonstration communities?”
State Partners:
Kansas State Department of Education
Contact: Gayle Stuber, Early Childhood Coordinator
Phone: 785-296-5352
E-mail: gstuber@ksde.org
Contact: Lori Alvarado, Executive Director
Phone: 785-856-3132
E-mail: lalvarado@ksheadstart.org
Community Partners:
Coffeyville:
Contact: Robert Morton, Superintendent
Phone: 620-252-6400
Email: mortonr@cvilleschools.com
Southeast Kansas Community Action Program Head Start
Contact: Linda Broyles, Coffeyville Director
Phone: 620-724-8204, ext. 1006
E-mail: lindab@sek-cap.com
Contact: Kevin Shepherd, Director
Phone: 620-331-6303
E-mail: kevins@tricounty607.com
Liberal:
Contact: Laura Cano, Director of Federal Programs
Phone: 620-604-2407
E-mail: Laura.cano@usd480.net
Kansas Children’s Service League Head Start
Contact: Julie Wright, Liberal Director
Phone: 620-276-3232, ext.1102
E-mail: jwright@kcsl.org
Rossville:
Contact: Jim McDaniel, Superintendent
Phone: 785-437-2254
E-mail: mcdanielj@kawvalley.k12.ks.us
Community Action, Inc., Head Start
Contact: Amy Blosser, Rossville Director
Phone: 785-235-9561
E-mail: ablosser@inlandnet.net
Child care providers are partners in Coffeyville, Liberal and Rossville.
