Name of Organization: Providence Community Library (Ready for Kindergarten).
Address: 441 Prairie Avenue Providence, RI 02905
Description of the overall mission of this organization: Ready for K Interns
· Ready for K is a two-year federal grant from the Institute of Museum of Library Services designed to reach children (ages 3to 5)in Providence who have not participated in formal early learning settings. PCL's current partners are Ready to Learn and RI Family Literacy Initiative who provide PD and supplementary staff to help deliver the program.
· Ready for K gives 400 children the first formalized early literacy training of their young lives. Twice weekly children attend programs at PCL neighborhood libraries with a parent or principal caregiver and participate in a range of school readiness activities. Caregivers also receive individual and group guidance on play-based activities they can do at home to further strengthen the skills their children need for kindergarten. Home activities are literacy kits, all available in English and Spanish, that families will be able to borrow. Kits include high-quality children's books and related games and activities. Simple checklists in each kit provide families with additional information about learning goals for their young children.
Four of PCL's nine neighborhood libraries host the program. The children's specialist/librarian is assisted by members of Ready to Learn AmeriCorps program and Rhode Island Family Literacy Initiative.
Ready to Learn provides professional development to PCL staff on relevant topics, such as the Rhode Island Early Learning and Development Standards, early literacy skills, dual language learners, family engagement and cultural competence. In addition to this formal training, Ready to Learn provides on-site support at the libraries.
When families register their children for kindergarten, Ready for K! team members operate out of the Providence Public School Department Registration Office and identify and recruit eligible families for participation. At the same time team members issue library cards and offer literacy activities for the waiting children.
Ages of youth served: Preschool Ages (3-7), and 7-11.
Hours worked: Tuesdays I(1:00-5:30), and Thursdays (9:00- 11:30, then 12:00- 1:00 lunch break, then 2:00- 5:30. As well as 2- 3 hours of preparation a week.
Description of your role and duties: On Thursday mornings I helped my mentor/ supervisor set up the Ready for Kindergarten workshop: which consisted of different play centers. The play centers were the sand table, play-doo, puzzles, shapes, and painting, Easel (chalk, and dry erase board, coloring, making beaded necklaces, arts and crafts, and circle time. Every week during circle time we would read a couple of books that pertain to that week's theme such as opposites. After story time we had snacks for the children, and that was when I would give out my take home activities to the parents, and bags with a book in Spanish and English, and some activities to go with it. I made take home activities such as Rhyming Games, Grocery shopping games; I also added my own activities such as Physical Fitness with the permission of my supervisor/ mentor. I also made visual aids for the program such as a choice chart for the children to use during the program. Sometimes I would make visual prompts, for circle time, such as using pictures for a sequence in a story. I also had to set up my own Ready For Kindergarten Workstation where I set up different centers from the program for the children to just play with on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons. I also coordinated two other programs which were Shack Your Sillies out which is a physical fitness activity every week, and or games for the children during the winter. I also had to come up with Arts and Crafts activities for the Arts and Crafts program.
Description of the culture of the place: When I first started in February at the South Providence Library, there are two women in the office and a man. The two women are the Librarian and the Children's Specialists and the man is the manager. Some of the people dress causal, but they don't dress business casual. We also had another intern from Rhode Island College from the Early Childhood Program. The ways that the office contacts you is face to face. But most of my contact was with the Youth Director Cheryl Space and we contacted through face to face, emails, and phone calls. I also worked with two Johnson and Whales work study students which was very enjoyable. I also worked with the American Corporation Volunteers; they helped us set up the activities. They were also very enjoyable to work with.
Special notes on process of getting this internship: I had to speak and meet with Cheryl Space the Youth Director for all nine of the libraries. At first my schedule was kind of hard to work with because the times of the programs that I wanted to participate in conflicted with my classes. After adjusting two or three times, we finally find a schedule that worked for the both of us. Overall my mentor/supervisor was very understanding of everything, she is really nice, and very approachable, and I could always email her with any questions she did not mind at all. The internship was very nice I learned so much. I Always asked for help from anyone in the library they were willingly to help. I really enjoyed interning here at this library because, the staff were very welcoming to me. The children and parents that I worked with one on one were so sweet and nice.
What three TAGS would you use to label this internship?
Library, Kindergarten, school aged,
Your name: Justina Botelho
Your cohort: Cohort 2
