EPIC Pueblo has identified School Readiness as the most important Early Childhood Issue facing Pueblo County.
EPIC Pueblo's goal: Send every child to Kindergarten healthy and ready to learn with over 3000 words in his/her vocabulary.
The Situation:Low Test Scores,School Violence,Teen Pregnancy,Vandalism: buzz words we read everyday. All of these contribute to a vicious cycle of poverty. A cycle that drags down the entire community. How do we help? What can we do? Where do we start? EPIC Pueblo starts at the beginning. Let's invest in our youngest children, to create a brighter future for tomorrow for everyone.
Start Behind - Stay Behind: Children from non-interactive homes go to Kindergarten with a 1200 word vocabulary vs. interactive homes sending on their children to school with over 3000 words. Society will pay on average $50,000 per student to make up for that gap before the child turns 18.
- Did you know that society saves up to $7 for every $1 invested in quality early education and care - in the special education, juvenile justice, and welfare systems alone?
- Did you know that at-risk children who don't receive a high-quality early childhood education are 40% more likely to become a teen parent? 50% more likely to be placed in special education? And, 25% more likely to drop out of school?
- Did you know that when children are in high-quality care, working parents are more productive, have less absenteeism, show a greater work focus, and better overall work performance?
Click here to read Burnie Zercher's Opinion Ed from the Pueblo Chieftain on 03/04/2013