December 2011 The last 12 months have been rich with development, re-development, imagination and re-imagination. We have seen growth in all programs and have worked hard to get Strong Start ready for the next 10 years. We started by giving Strong Start a new look and re-branded our organization as "Strong Start to reading." We also created additional brands for our Letters, Sounds and Words and Get Ready for School programs. January started with real excitement as the Baby Literacy Collaborative announced the launch of Baby Connections, thanks to three years of funding from the Ontario Trillium Foundation and the Lyle S. Hallman Foundation, along with a one-time grant from The Waterloo Regional Record Literacy Fund, administered by the Kitchener and Waterloo Community Foundation. January also saw the start of the CHYM and KIX 106 Cares Campaign featuring Strong Start. This year, on the program side, we increased enrolment, enhanced program quality and made it easier to deliver. We’ve transformed the way we collect assessment results from our partner schools and community centres, and how we communicate with them through the use of technology. In June, we were in the media again with news of Strong Start being chosen as Social Venture Partners' first non-profit beneficiary, and the announcement of five years of core funding by the Lyle S. Hallman Foundation for our Get Ready for School program. I hope I've sufficiently piqued your interest that you'll want to turn the page to learn more about what we`ve been doing over the last year. On behalf of our organization and the thousands of children we serve, I want to sincerely thank the generous people in our Strong Start communities for their continued financial support of our programs and for their time and energy in volunteering! All the best, Machelle Denison, Executive Director
INSIDE PROGRAM PROGRESS
TECHNOLOGY TRIUMPH
COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS
Exciting progress this year includes
Finding a way to do more with less
Each year Strong Start looks for
enhancements to the Letters, Sounds
meant new technology for Strong
opportunities
and Words program™, moving from
Start; with enhanced program quality
importance of literacy and spread the
pilot to implementation of Get Ready
and ease of delivery as the goals. It’s
word about its programs. This year
for School™ and the launch of Baby
twelve months later and Strong Start
produced a unique opportunity for
Connections™. See Page Two.
is benefiting from SiTE SOURCE™,
Strong Start to share its message with
a
an audience of nearly 100,000.
web-based
data-entry
eCommunications and more...
tool,
to
highlight
the
Program Progress
Letters, Sounds and Words™
Get Ready for School™ is a
Baby Connections™ is a
is a program for children ages five
program for children ages three
collaborative initiative which
to seven. In schools volunteers,
and four. It helps develop early
supports early literacy skill devel-
help children learn to identify letter
reading
opment for babies 6 to 12 months
names, sounds and sight words.
proper classroom behaviours.
skills,
vocabulary
and
Enhancement is the word used to describe this year’s Letters, Sounds and Words activity. Starting with volunteers' coaching manuals and finishing with organization of activity kits, we concentrated on making things more user-friendly. The outcome is more consistent program delivery and happier volunteers. Coaches' manuals now include simplified instr uct ion s, an agenda for each session and p h o t o s showing how to set up games and activities, saving our volunteers valuable time and energy. We published our own set of Little Books, written by Inge Ford, that are an integral part of our program. This enhancement is the answer to an unannounced change by supplier that threatened to cause us problems.
From Pilot to Flight: after over two years of testing, incredible results and the generous Lyle S. Hallman Foundation five-year grant, Get Ready for School (based on the research of Dr. Iuliana Baciu) will take a foothold in the community early in 2012, when four community centres will host the 44-session program. Programs will be offered in Cambridge at Popcorn House and P r e s t o n Heights Community Centre and in Kitchener's at Kingsdale Community Centre and Country Hills Community Centre.
old in Waterloo Region. Baby Connections was officially launched on January 28th, 2011, based on compelling research which shows that language and literacy learning begin at birth. Thanks to strong community support, the mission to 'motivate and support parents to facilitate early literacy skill development, starting in their child's first year of life,’ is off to a good start’. Baby Connections provides parents and care-givers with hands-on learning opportunities and a free early literacy toolkit which builds awareness, knowledge and behaviours to help ensure the future success of our community's youngest learners. Over the last three months, more than 30 individuals from six community organizations have participated in early-literacy skills training. Community Facilitators are now busy integrating Baby Connections into local programs such as Baby & Me, Make the Connection, and Busy Babies.
More enhancements on Page 3.
2
Real Results
2,243 children served in over
135 schools
Technology Triumph Financial and in-kind support opened doors to a major technology upgrade at Strong Start, creating the opportunity for ‘more’: more capacity for program delivery, which means more children served. We now reap the benefits of five new technologies. We've improved efficiency, enhanced the quality and ease of program delivery and improved our ability to communicate with our program partners and stakeholders. From telephones to the Strong Start website, we’ve taken a giant leap into the future. Top Three New Technologies:
1,900 volunteers contributed
32,000 hours
88 to 100% of children
SiTE SOURCE™ - a web tool to collect program participation and assessment data 24/7. In addition, it provides a one-stop resource library for program partners. SharePoint Server™ - a web tool used by Strong Start team members working away from the office to share documents and photos. Constant Contact™ - a communications tool which creates easyto-read, interactive email.
made significant, excellent or outstanding gains
In this final year of the pilot project, nearly 30 children were served at two locations. Measuring vocabulary and verbal ability, based on ageequivalency scores, children demonstrated a full one-year gain in their assessment results. Using assessments children showed an almost eight-fold increase in sounds awareness from the time they started the program until completion. Children demonstrated consistent, effective classroom learning behaviour and their assessment scores showed significant improvement.
SiTE SOURCE™ data entry tool
Site Co-ordinator eNewsletter
Strong Start website new look
3
Community Connections
Social Venture Partners Waterloo Region selected Strong Start Social Venture Partners Waterloo Region chooses Strong Start. In November 2010, Social Venture Partners Waterloo Region was launched with a focus on supporting children and youth. After a thorough application process, Strong Start was selected in June of 2011 as its first beneficiary of funding and expert advice. A minimum of three years' investment will have significant impact on the strength and capacity of Strong Start's organization and programs.
Social Venture Partners Social Venture Partners is a regional network of individuals who invest and partner with non-profits in Waterloo Region. Founded in November 2010.
Social Venture Partners combines philanthropy with the volunteering of time and expertise by its members. Strong Start is honoured and excited to tap into, and be guided by the expertise, information and resources that Social Venture Partners offers.
Awareness of Strong Start and our Letters, Sounds and Words program skyrocketed this year, thanks to the seven-week CHYM Cares and KIX Cares Charity of the Month campaign. Through the airing of five public service announcements featuring personal messages from parents, volunteers and Strong Start personnel, listeners learned more about the impact our programs have on the children we serve and the volunteers who make it happen. Strong Start also showcased program-related interactive activities at events throughout Kitchener and Waterloo. For the second consecutive year we felt the mighty engines roar as we, the charity partner, shared stories and information with visitors at Mighty Machines. A roar of a different kind was heard as the Giant Tiger mascot helped Strong Start greet guests at the store’s 50th Anniversary Celebration BBQ. Family Literacy Day at Conestoga Mall and Word on the Street in Victoria Park were wonderful opportunities to talk with parents and children. We were proud to be among the many highly regarded, literacy-focused organizations of the Waterloo Region.
Family Literacy Day
Word on the Street
Mighty Machines
Giant Tiger
- Conestoga Mall
- Victoria Park
- Family event
- Anniversary, BBQ
4
Program Partners
Team Trail
Letters, Sounds and Words program
Board of Trustees Steve Cameron – Chair
Carol Jankowski
Stanley Nahrgang
Linda Fabi
Jim Hallman
Glen Boy
Executive Director
Director of Program
Machelle Denison
Inge Ford - Waterloo Region
Administrative Assistant Darlene Koebel
Mieke Schroder -
Community Liaison
Brant Haldimand Norfolk
Ken Silvester
Pam Valeriote -
Development Volunteer Rosemary Trakalo Communications Lead Janis Roughley
Program Co-ordinators
Wellington County
Get Ready for School program City of Kitchener - Country Hills Community Centre
Ashley McKinnon -
- Kingsdale Community Centre
Get Ready for School Training and Materials
In Cambridge Ontario
Assistant Eden Hambleton
Thank you...
- Popcorn House - Preston Heights Community Centre
- Community Fund - The Jim and Sue Hallman Family Fund - David and Eleanor Yach Family Fund
Memorial Dedication
Strong Start Donations
With honour and appreciation, Machelle Den-
On-line:
ison presented the first set of the new Little Books to Ken Silvester at the Site Co-ordinator event in September. The books are dedicated to Ken's wife, the late Lynda Silvester, Strong Start's co-founder. The books were created with the support of her memorial donors.
www.CanadaHelps.org
Cheque by mail: Strong Start Charitable Foundation, 20 Crestview Place, Kitchener, ON N2B 0A2 Charitable Registration #858636434RR0001 Website: www.strongstart.ca Email:
info@strongstart.ca
Call:
519-743-9578.
Thank you... Individuals Angela Szijarto Ann Cleveland Ann Knechtel Anne Marie Bettschen Anne Strassburger Arthur & Marion White Authur & Marion White Barbara Hill Betty Townshend Beverley Saliwonchyk Bill & Eleanor Vaughan Bill & Mary Cressman Bill & Nancy Tilt Bill Blake Bob & Cathie Fewster Bonnie Bremner Bonnie Jones Bonnie Parker Brenda Halloran Brent Heard Brian & Pat Carter Brian & Wendy Forler Bruce & Saralie Scandrett Bryan & Jackie Murdoch Carol Filipowitsch Carol Jankowski Carrie McGinnis Catarina Tavares Catharine Bombay Catherine Catton Cathy Salvatore Cheryl Lee Chloe Callender Christina Weylie Christine Loker Corinne Chessell Craig Simpson Cynthia Brubacher Dave & Julie Roth David & Susan Lewis David and Pat Graham David Cooke David Fedy Dean & Sharon Elliott Debbie Harding Diane Karges Dianne Querengesser Dieter & Pat Blumenthal Doneen Silvester Donna Johnson Donna Reid Donna Robinson Doris Murdoch Doug & Donna Letson Edward & Valerie Hastings Elizabeth King Elizabeth Mason Elke Mayer Ellen Dietrich Ernie Parker Ethan, Ella & Claire Roth Frank Laferriere Fred & Donna Mazurek Garry & Claudia Haack George & Helen Stillaway Gerald & Joanne White Geraldine Koppejan
Ginny Jans Glen & Joan Kerr Glen & Robin Boy Gord & Helen Beal Gord Beckenhauer Grant & Elizabeth Cooper Hank & Pam Salin Heather Fields Heather Wilson Henning Grumme Hulene Montgomery Ian, Rob & Audrey Hember / Carr Irene Golas Irene Palmer Jack & Lorraine Nesbitt James & Janice Hember James & Susan Hallman Janice Mononen Jean Haalboom Jerry & Judith Van Ooteghem Jim & Carolyn Hooper Joan Montague John & Candace Davies John & Emilie Brown John & Mary Fisher John Milloy John Small Jonda Pieratt Joyce McLean Joyce Wong Judith Cook Judy Cutts Judy McDonald Judy Moffatt Karen Fitzsimmons Karen Leishman Karen Luke Karen Valeriote Karl Wahl Katherine Sestan-Jones Kathy Cheung Kathy Forsythe-Lantz Kathy Simpson Kathy Taylor Ken & Elizabeth Bell Ken Silvester Kim & Mike Heathcote Kim Krueger-Kischak Kim Mannion Kirk Omand Klaus & Dianne Borch Kristy Hunt Larry and Joanne Baker Laura Archibald Laurie Herald Laurie Weiler Lawrence & Jane Bingeman Leo & Joan Doodchenko Les Houston Leslie & Eileen Rogers Leslie Johnston Lewis & Inge Ford Linda Fabi Linda Gumble Lorne & Debbie Silvester Lynda Kirkland Lynn Mueller Malcolm & Lillian Tippin Marchese Health Care Marcia Smellie
Margaret Hennig Margo Delaine Marilyn Dufresne Marilyn Marklevitz Marjorie Snyder Marny Morrison Marvin & Susan Rempel Mary Bailey Mary Freiburger Marybeth Snyder Maxine Neller Megan Conway Meghan Stahlbrand Melanie Ristau Michael & Dawn Raines Miriam LaPeare Monique Goold Murray & Norma Herz Neal Warren Norman & Reva White Pat Ewart-McLean Patricia Miller Patricia Reeve Patti Johnson Paul & Eniko Speed / Bene Paul & Janet Dullaert Paul Derbecker Peter & Lois Carney Peter and Victoria Fitton Rachel Addison Ray & Ellace Applebaum Rhonda Allen Rhonda Propp Rita Hickey Rob & Carol Ann Currie Robert & Hermina Schroeder Robert & Phyllis Reist Robert and Pam Robinson Robert Huras Robert Jones Robert McCauley Roberts Onsite Roch & Pam Valeriote Ronald & Eileen Baxter Ronald Shram Rosemary Trakalo Ross & Sue Heimpel Ruth Wohlgemuth Sandra Vaughan Sandra-Lee Chris Scott Dickie Shannon Nesbitt Sharon Monteiro Shawna Valoppi Sheila Wittie Shelley Des Cotes Sherry Ratz Stan & Donna Nahrgang Stephen & Patricia Cameron Steven & Patricia Haskell Susan Burke Susan Gerth Susan Parr Susanne Murdoch Suzanne Fisk Ted & Nancy Ray Ted Schlotzhauer & Joanne Mumford Tim & Jeanette Kennel Tom & Liz Motz Tony & Machelle Denison
Verna Parson Vicky Spadoni Warren & Martha Stauch Wayne & Judy Davis Wendy Brum Will & Pam Verlinden Cambridge & North Dumfries Community Foundation Donors Collins-Wright Fund David Thomas Gower Family Fund Marion Edgar Fund Osbourne Family Fund Preston IODE RBC Foundation Virginia Adams
Brantford Kiwanis Club
In-kind Support
Organizations AECL Anthony International BDO Financial Services Limited Bellview Public School Civitan Sports Com Dev Ltd Correctional Service Canada Denison Print Erb International Inc. Gates Canada Inc. Giant Tiger Stores Limited Heffner Lexus-Heffner Toyota Impact Events Group Inc. Joseph Schneider Haus Kavelman-Fonn Foundation Kitchener Centre Provincial Liberal Association Kitchener Conestoga Rotary Club Kiwanis Club of Kitchener-Waterloo M R & R Data Services Inc. Mezentco Inc. - Marchese Health Care Morell Kelly Personal Injury Law Paul A Bender Insurance Rotary Club of Brantford Charitable Foundation Rotary Club of Kitchener-Conestoga Rotary Club of Kitchener-Grand River Samuel W Stedman Foundation Sunlife Financial TD Canada Trust The Kavelman-Fonn Foundation Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada Inc. Way-Mar Inc Westvale Public School