Starting Kindergarten can be a time filled with excitement, but it can also make kids feel nervous. Thanks to our local Kindergarten Countdown Camp many 
youngsters are better prepared to start school ready to succeed.
Kindergarten Countdown Camp helps children who have little or no preschool experience or who are identified as being at risk of having trouble in school transition successfully into kindergarten. By attending this seven-week summer camp, children gain valuable academic and social experience in a classroom setting. They also increase their readiness to read, which is critical for entering Kindergarten.
In Indiana, only 40% of all children between the ages of 3 and 4 attend preschool or nursery school. This is lower than 
the 46% national average. The research is clear that children with less exposure to the social-emotional skills and literacy concepts needed for kindergarten are prone to start and stay behind their more-prepared classmates. Children from low-income households are even more likely to not attend preschool and enter Kindergarten ready to learn. In Indiana, only 30% of children living in low-income households attend preschool.
Each summer, United Way provides Kindergarten Countdown scholarships for dozens of low-income children who would not otherwise have the opportunity to be part of the readiness camp. We are proud to partner with the Monroe County Community School Corporation to ensure these young students are on the path to enter and succeed in Kindergarten.
Early learning and succeeding in school at all levels is important. That’s why United Way focuses energy in programs like Let’s Read, Born Learning, Monroe Smart Start, and Real Men Read. By creating opportunities for children of all ages, United Way supporters are providing a foundation for our youth to become productive and engaged adults in the community.
>> Read about the 2016 Kindergarten Countdown
>> Read about the 2015 Kindergarten Countdown
>> Read about the 2014 Kindergarten Countdown