Family Central’s HIPPY Program to Incorporate KidVision VPK in Summer Curriculum
Goal is to increase school readiness among 4 year olds from low income families
CONTACT:
Cammy Richards
Director Communications
WPBT2
305-424-4013
cammy_richards@wpbt.org
Monica Pujol-Nassif
Family Central/HIPPY
954-724-4058
MPujol-Nassif@familycentral.org
Miami, FL. June, 10, 2011 – Family Central’s Home Instruction for Parents of Preschool Youngsters (HIPPY) and WPBT2’s KidVision VPK are proud to announce that HIPPY in South Florida will include KidVision VPK as a cornerstone of their summer curriculum. HIPPY highlights the importance of keeping the children engaged in learning activities during the summer and maintaining a continuum in the parent-child positive interaction throughout the year. They will incorporate the KidVision VPK virtual field trips into the weekly activities for four year old children to help ensure that all domains of child development and growth are included in their summer activities. The program is ideal for a low income population because it is based on virtual field trips that any parent, regardless of literacy, can implement with their children.
HIPPY is a parent involvement, school readiness program that helps parents prepare their three, four and five year old children for success in school and beyond. The parent is provided with a set of carefully developed curriculum, books and materials designed to strengthen their children’s cognitive skills, early literacy skills, social/emotional and physical development. The HIPPY Program is funded through the generosity of USF and CSC of Broward County, Inc.
KidVision VPK (kidvisionvpk.org) is a PBS award-winning program designed to develop and enhance the skills of 4-year olds throughout Florida by offering the most innovative online tools available to VPK and pre-K teachers. Each KidVision learning unit includes a 7-8 minute virtual field trip taking pre-K children to different places in the community, and a 2-3 minute video to help teachers and parents understand the standards that are presented in the virtual field trips. There are also four standards lesson plans, four student assessments, and two take home pages to involve families. The site is FREE and online. Teachers like it because they can earn free in-service hours and CEUs, then they can implement it in their classrooms to enrich their curriculums and stimulate student standards achievement. KidVision VPK Is an Outcomes Driven Training. All learning modules are based on the Florida VPK early education standards.
Penny Bernath, KidVision VPK Host and Education Content Producer stated: “This is a perfect match because KidVision VPK is designed around everyday activities so parents can watch the videos and do the lesson plans with their children, and when they are out and see a fire station, or a construction site, they can continue to discuss the educational material from the field trip.” With more than 11,600 registered users in all 67 Florida counties, KidVision VPK is touching thousands of children. “We are very proud,” says Jack Kelly, Vice President of Production for WPBT2, “to have developed a project that serves the needs of the Pre-K community. With the outstanding response we know that the impact of KidVision VPK will last for many years to come.”
KidVisionVPK.org watch, learn, play & integrate the Florida VPK Education Standards
Funding for KidVision VPK was made possible by: The Children Services Council of Broward, Community Foundation of Broward, A.D. Henderson Foundation, Carl and Lily Pforzheimer Foundation, Bank Atlantic Foundation, Lady Suzanna P. Tweed and Carleton Tweed Charitable Foundation, Jason Taylor Foundation, The Children’s Trust and Marlins Community Foundation.
ABOUT WPBT2
South Florida’s premier public broadcaster, WPBT2, is a community-licensed, not-for-profit media enterprise serving communities from the Treasure Coast to the Florida Keys. WPBT2 provides high quality content from PBS, independent acquisitions and its own original productions. WPBT2’s digital media platform, offers: 2HD, a 24-hour high definition channel; Digital 2.2, a mix of Science & Nature Channel, The Florida Channel and Create; Digital 2.3, V-me, a 24-hour national Spanish-language network; and www.wpbt2.org, the WPBT2 website including, Impromp2 (a community blog), the WPBT2 Video Player and uVu, a video sharing website.
About Family Central, Inc
Family Central© is a comprehensive, not-for-profit family support organization offering specialized services and programs to help give South Florida children a competitive start in life. Our programs are directed primarily toward economically disadvantaged families living in Broward, Palm Beach and Miami-Dade Counties. Family Central serves over 130,000 South Florida children and families annually.
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