NEW ULM – Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation (SMIF) once again showed support for early childhood education through the approval of $248,275 in grants awarded to 24 Early Childhood projects across southern Minnesota, include grants to New Ulm and Sleepy Eye.

New Ulm Early Childhood Family Education (ECFE) was awarded $20,000 and Sleepy Eye ECFE received $15,561.

“We love SMIF,” New Ulm ECFE coordinator Betty Uehling said. “I don’t know what we would do with them. We would not be able to offer what we do for the community without their support.”

Uehling said SMIF was a frequent support of the New Ulm ECFE program. Last summer summer SMIF awarded them $30,000. Some of the $30,000 from last summer and the additional $20,000 awarded this week will be used to offer two sessions of Kindergarten Kickstart classes in June and July this year. Kindergarten Kick start is offered to families that intend to send kids to kindergarten in the fall. Kindergarten Kickstart is an 8 day program that helps children adjust to the classroom.

“It takes away some of the stress of starting school that first day,” Uehling said. “We’ve been very fortunate to find these grants.”

In previous years, New Ulm ECFE used Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funds and donations from New Ulm Area Foundation (NUAF) to pay for Kindergarten Kickstart.

The other half of the grant will be used for the ECFE on Wheels program. This program is used to bring programing and classroom work to home childcare providers. The funding would allow ECFE staff to visit 10 at home day care providers to provide lesson and projects for the kids. Uehling said the projects focus on motor skills and social/emotional skills. Each of the 10 day care providers would receive two visits.

“We’ve done this before but only when we have a grant,” Uehling said.

Sleepy Eye ECFE will be using their $15,561 grant similar to New Ulm. Sleepy Eye ECFE instructor Megan Koenigs said the funds will be used for Kindergarten Kickstart and ECFE classroom work at area day cares.

“We’re really excited to get this grant again for a second year,” Koenigs said. “Last year we used for a summer preschool program to get students ready for Kindergarten. We had 37 preschool students participate.”

Koenigs said the Sleepy Eye ECFE would also conduct a ECFE on Wheels program for Sleepy Eye. They intend to visit 16 homes to teach motor skill development and social and emotional development. Participating day care providers will also be given educational resources to keep.

The grant will also allow Sleepy Eye to conduct mobile screenings for kids entering the schools. The screening is for basic cognitive tests as well as hearing and vision.

Koenigs said some of the grant would also be used to cover transportation costs. In order to keep the preschool program affordable, Sleepy Eye ECFE has covered the cost for transportation.

New Ulm and Sleepy Eye were only two of the ECFE program to receive SMIF funding. Other programs to receive grants included Children’s Museum of Southern Minnesota in Mankato; Exchange Club Center for Family Unity in Owatonna; Faribault Public Schools, Jeremiah Program in Rochester; New Prague Area Early Childhood Initiative; Northfield Public Schools Community Education; Austin Aspires and well as 15 other projects across southern Minnesota.

More than 5,884 children will receive support through these grants.

“At SMIF, we know how critical a strong early care and education program is for the health of a community,” said Rae Jean Hanse, vice president of Early Childhood at SMIF. “We are excited to help address the needs of young children across the region to set them up for success.”