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Exhibit A
<br /> Funds from the Revive:Santa Ana Youth Programs grant opportunity will develop a hands-on outdoor classroom for KidWorks'preschool program.
<br /> KidWorks'preschool serves low-income families in central Santa Ana with 40-48 spots for children each school year.The final number of children
<br /> served depends on state licensing regulations for current COVID precautions.
<br /> KidWorks'preschool students receive daily instruction during the week and learn through the exploration of the preschool's enriched environment.
<br /> This includes creating art,singing,dancing,listening to stories,doing science experiments,and various scaffolding activities that challenge students
<br /> according to their needs.They learn numbers,letters,alphabet sounds,colors,and shapes.Because KidWorks predominately serves Spanish-speaking
<br /> families,KidWorks'preschool program begins the school year with the teachers primarily speaking in Spanish.Teachers gradually introduce English
<br /> language instruction throughout the course so that by the end of school year most of the day is spent using only English.
<br /> The requested grant funding will transform KidWorks' 15-year-old old preschool playground into an open-ended outdoor nature-based space filled
<br /> with large and small natural building materials to spark creativity.The outdoor classroom will have an organic garden,an art and reading area,
<br /> bridges,swings,and a"mud kitchen."This natural environment will be a place for children to experience the joy of being outdoors while gaining a
<br /> positive self-image and increasing skills through exploration,engineering,and working together.
<br /> The preschool's primary goal is a successful transition from preschool to kindergarten for every child and family.Children begin this transition on the
<br /> first day of preschool,and once they enter kindergarten,they continue to receive support from KidWorks through elementary,junior high,high school
<br /> and into their college experience.KidWorks believes that every child should be able to access high quality early education which increases academic
<br /> success and graduation rates,and reduces achievement gaps.
<br /> During the COVID-19 Pandemic,California designated early child-care and education as essential services.Therefore,KidWorks was able to partially
<br /> re-open its Preschool on September 3,2020.The preschool began under a hybrid model with a combination of small in-class learning,virtual lessons,
<br /> and supplemental take-home learning kits and activities.
<br /> In order for preschool to open in compliance with all regulations,the organization had to make several immediate retrofits and facility improvements.
<br /> Classroom retrofits included touchless sinks,soap dispensers,and toilets along with plexigiass dividers.Along with new policies and facilities
<br /> improvement,each child has needed their own learning supplies(not to be shared),a tablet for at-home use(during the hybrid programming),and
<br /> distanced workspace requiring that additional desks and supplies be purchased.These new unanticipated costs that were not a part of the
<br /> organization's regular budget and required additional fundraising efforts.
<br /> Because of the pandemic,the preschool has had to significantly limit in-person field trips and special guests visiting the classroom(such as parents,
<br /> community volunteers,and dress-up characters such as the Cat in the Hat or Clifford the Big Red Dog).These experiences have been adjusted to a
<br /> virtual platform,which still allows teachers to integrate classroom lessons into the real world. Even virtual field trips support the development of self-
<br /> regulation through curiosity and initiative in learning,self-control of feelings and behavior,and shared use of space and material. Virtual field trips
<br /> also serve as a great opportunity for preschoolers to develop language and literacy as they communicate by classifying the various objects or animals
<br /> they visually encounter,including color,size,and type.
<br /> Program Deliverables
<br /> Over the one-year grant period,KidWorks'preschool will serve between 40 and 48 children,ages 3 to 4 years old.Expected outcomes of the project
<br /> are:
<br /> 1)KidWorks will develop a new outdoor classroom for the preschool.
<br /> 2)At least 90%of eligible students will promote from preschool ready for Kindergarten.
<br /> 3)100%of preschool students will have developmental screenings completed and those in need of follow-up services will be given a referral.
<br /> 4)By the end of the school year,at least 75%of 3-year-old students will score"Exploring:later"or"Building:earlier"and 4-year-old students will
<br /> score"Building/Integrating"in all DRDP Domains.
<br /> 5)By the end of the school year,at least 70%of the preschool children will develop leadership skills at a Building/Integrating level in the DRDP.
<br /> 6)At least 90%of preschool-students will have useful roles and responsibilities in the classroom.
<br /> 7)At least 70%of preschool students will consistently exhibit empathy,generosity,and tolerance toward others in the classroom.
<br /> KidWorks serves families living in poverty and challenged neighborhoods of central Santa Ana.Among US cities,Santa Ana is the 4th most densely
<br /> populated city and ranks 5th in having the highest level of rent burden(64%of households spend more than 30%of their income on housing according
<br /> to An Equity Profile of Orange County,2019).
<br /> The per capita income in the census tract(748.02)of the Dan Donahue Center is$14,652.This is about two-thirds of the amount in Santa Ana:
<br /> ,$20,867)and about one-third of the amount in Orange County:($41,514).Furthermore,because of the high levels of rent burden on families in Santa
<br /> Ana,it is common for two to three families to live in one household so that they can afford even a small apartment.With regard to educational
<br /> attainment,50.6%of families have a parent who graduated from high school and 11.1%have obtained at least a Bachelor's degree(ACS,2019).
<br /> With regard to race and ethnicity,99%of families served by KidWorks are Latino and 1%of families are Asian,which is representative of the overall
<br /> racial and ethnic demographics in the service area.
<br /> According to First Five Orange County's 2020 Landscape Analysis,there are 79,313 preschool-age children in Orange County,with only 55,361 spots
<br /> in licensed child care or preschool setting.This means that 30%of preschool age children have no place to go.Locally,the Early Development Index
<br /> reveals that over half of Santa Ana's children(58%)were not ready for kindergarten upon entry.When children are starting kindergarten and they are
<br /> City Council 20 26 — 239 5/3/2022
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