“Project GRAD Akron registering students for

2018 Bridge to Kindergarten Summer Academy”

Project GRAD Akron is accepting applications for its Tenth Annual Bridge to Kindergarten Program for students entering kindergarten in the fall of 2018.  Students entering Crouse, Schumacher, and Helen Arnold Community Learning Centers of the Akron Public Schools have the first priority.  Additional students from other Akron Public Schools may be accepted on a limited basis.  Bridge to Kindergarten is a literacy-based program that is designed to increase school readiness and parent involvement by preparing children for the transition to kindergarten and supporting them in the first year. 

The summer program will be held at Schumacher CLC, 1020 Hartford Avenue, in Akron and will begin Monday, July 30, 2018, and run for two weeks, ending on Friday, August 10, 2018, from 8:15 am to 1:30 pm daily.  Breakfast and lunch will be served each day to students in the program. Depending on enrollment, transportation may be provided from Crouse and Helen Arnold Schools.  During the school year the program will continue with educational workshops and family events to maintain the linkage and engagement with the school.

Participation in the program is free; however, registration is required.  The Bridge to Kindergarten Program is made available through a partnership between Project GRAD Akron, Kent State University’s Early Childhood Education Department, and the Akron Public Schools.  This year’s program has been funded primarily by grant funding from the Akron Community Foundation. 

Annually, parents and school officials are pleased with the results from the students’ participation in the program.  Since 2009, 272 children have participated in the summer program. Annually, more than 98% of the students who completed the program are on-time for promotion to first grade, with 100% for the last three years. Students who completed our program have increased their kindergarten readiness and have had fewer disciplinary problems in school.

For more information or to register for the program, please contact Laurie Curfman, Project GRAD Akron’s Director of Programs, by telephone at 330-761-7952, or by email at [email protected].  For additional information about Project GRAD Akron, please visit our website or contact our office at 330-761-3113 or email [email protected].