The “summer slide” and home visits

At A Glance is a bi-weekly news recap highlighting WKKF grantees, investments, communities and partnerships.

The “summer slide” is a real thing and we’re not talking about an amusement park ride. Once kids hear that summer school bell ring, for some, learning goes out the window. Whether by choice or by life circumstances, many students are not provided the opportunities to engage in educational activities during the summer months. We’re teaming up with the Grand Rapids Children’s Museum and Grand Rapids Public Schools to ensure more preschool students are given every chance to enter kindergarten ready to learn and ready to advance.

The Changing Woman Initiative is hoping to open the country’s first Native birthing center next year. Serving women in New Mexico, this center will integrate ancient tribal birthing practices and break down barriers to care for all women. Whether challenged by limited transportation, food insecurity or lack of awareness of prenatal care and high costs, the center will offer an array of services. WKKF embraces the cultural and social traditions of Native women and is proud to be a supporter of this effort.

In too many communities, women don’t have the supports they need to breastfeed their babies. But New Mexico’s Bernalillo County Metropolitan Detention Center offers a new inmate breastfeeding policy, placing it among a small group of jails and prisons nationwide offering inmates access to a breast pump and support. The W.K. Kellogg Foundation provided funding to New Mexico Breastfeeding Task Force to address these types of barriers to breastfeeding. Despite the challenges and circumstances, all women should be given the opportunity to ensure their baby’s health starts on the right track.

“Mi casa es su casa.” At least that’s what some Detroit students are saying to their teachers as part of a new initiative with support from WKKF and the Kresge Foundation. To build stronger relationships and better advocates for the children of Detroit, the Parent Teacher Home Visit Program has kicked off with excitement and homemade brownies. Stipends for teachers and parents are incentive to help build relationships in and out of the classroom. Yes, please! 

A recent $850,000 grant from WKKF to the Lee Pesky Learning Center is aimed at improving literacy for young students across Idaho. The focus will be on providing evidence-based literacy professional development and coaching for pre-school through second-grade teachers working with students who may be falling behind in reading. School districts can apply to participate in the project until May 18. Any Idahoans in the house? Get on over to the site and apply!