Gearing up for Kindergarten: How to Start a School Readiness Program

***BEFORE YOU REGISTER FOR THIS ON-DEMAND WEBINAR PLEASE REVIEW IMPORTANT REGISTRATION INFORMATION BELOW***

Adult female of color playing a drum for a diverse group of children in a classroom.Kindergarten Gear Up (Kindergartengearup.org) is a free online toolkit, developed by San Diego County librarians in collaboration with educators and social justice advocates, to fill the school-readiness gap families struggle with before children begin kindergarten. Learn how to host a 10-session early learning program—from curriculum to booklists to marketing and more—using this easy-to-use toolkit.

Originally presented March 27, 2024.

Learning Outcomes

At the conclusion of this on-demand webinar, participants will be able to:

  • Understand the importance of school readiness;
  • Appreciate the equity, diversity, and inclusion measures used to develop the Kindergarten Gear Up content;
  • Use the toolkit to start and run a Kindergarten Gear Up program; and
  • Incorporate school readiness and early learning concepts into youth programs.

Who Should Attend

This on-demand webinar is intended for all public library staff, youth-serving staff interested in incorporating school readiness concepts into their program schedule.

Panelists

Jodi dela Peña (she/her)Jodi dela Peña (she/her) has more than twenty years of library experience most centered around youth and family services. For the last four years she has supervised the youth services programming and services at all thirty-three branch libraries of the San Diego County Library (SDCL) system. She has served as the chair and co-chair of the Serra Youth Services group, and has had youth literacy programs published in American Library Association’s professional texts. She oversees the training, implementation, and execution of the Kindergarten Gear Up program, and lead the team in developing and constructing the Kindergarten Gear Up website.

 

Tiffany Hanson (she/her)Tiffany Hanson (she/her) is a youth services librarian with San Diego County Library (SDCL). As the daughter of a teacher, she believes in the importance of preparing all children for kindergarten and a classroom environment. Tiffany assisted at multiple iterations of Kindergarten Gear Up at SDCL branches, including leading one at her local branch. She worked with Jodi dela Peña and staff to create, design, and input data into the new Kindergarten Gear Up website and is excited to bring this amazing program to more local and national libraries.

 

Important Registration Information

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Redeem your signup code to complete your registration

Once you’ve registered for this on-demand webinar, a signup code will be added to your ALA eLearning account and emailed to you. Find the signup code on your signup code page, then redeem it on your account’s dashboard to complete your enrollment in this on-demand webinar.

Review the ALA eLearning FAQ if you need more information.

Accommodations

This on-demand webinar is closed captioned in English (United States).

If you have a physical or communication need that may affect your access to this on-demand webinar, please contact us at plawebinars@ala.org or 800-545-2433 ext. 5PLA (5752) prior to registering so we can attempt to provide appropriate accommodations.

Tech Requirements

To play this on-demand webinar you should use a browser with native HTML5 support. Please use the most up-to-date version available of Chrome, Safari, Firefox, Opera, or Edge. A fast Internet connection and computer is recommended.

Contact

This webinar is presented by the Public Library Association (PLA), a division of the American Library Association (ALA).

If you have questions or problems accessing a recording, send a message to plawebinars@ala.org or call 800-545-2433 ext. 5PLA (5752).

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