Educational programs are an essential part of SaddleBrooke Community Outreach’s (SBCO) efforts to provide local kids with opportunities to succeed. And supporting early childhood education is no exception. It’s one of the best investments that can be made in a child’s future – and that of a community. Research shows that providing a high-quality education for children before they turn five produces significant long-term benefits.
Research shows that young people who were in preschool programs are more likely to graduate from high school, to own homes and have longer marriages. They also are less likely to repeat grades, need special education or later get into trouble with the law. Early childhood education also makes good economic sense. A Federal Reserve Bank official estimates that adjusting for inflation, preschool delivers a 12 percent return on investment.
Preschool delivers such great results by promoting enthusiasm for lifelong learning—right when children are most eager and able to learn. It helps children develop socially as they make friends, learn how to share, cooperate and respect others. They also acquire patience as they learn to wait their turn.
In preschool, students experience successes and failures in a safe and fair environment. This helps them develop the coping strategies needed when facing greater life challenges.
Through opportunities to listen, follow directions, attend to tasks and participate in group activities, preschoolers develop the critical life skill of concentration. Over time, preschoolers gain confidence, optimism, and self-esteem—which encourages them to explore their talents, skills, and interests.
By helping to build a strong foundation for a child’s emotional, social, physical and mental development, preschool is preparation for a lifetime. A preschool experience is especially valuable for those children whose families lack the financial resources to pay for it.
Based on demand, the Oracle School District Kindergarten Preparation program doubled the number of children it accepted for the 2024-25 school year. The program, which is free of charge to all three- and four-year-olds who live in the school district, receives financial support from the district and the Oracle Schools Foundation. The state of Arizona does not fund pre-Kindergarten education. Doubling capacity raised the program’s annual cost to $99,000. SaddleBrooke Community Outreach granted a request from Oracle Schools Foundation for $10,000 to provide a $200 per month scholarship for five children for the 10-month school year.
Children enrolled in the OSD Kindergarten Preparation program are assessed at the beginning and end of the school year as well as monitored for consistent performance and behavior throughout the year. Skills assessed for achievement include identifying, writing and reciting letters of the alphabet and numbers one through 100; writing their name, identifying colors and shapes, and gross and fine motor skills. Children’s self-management skills are evaluated, as well as their expressive language and social emotional skills.
SBCO is pleased to be able to support the development of preschoolers in the Oracle School District. It’s an investment that will pay dividends far into the future for these children, their families and their community.
As water lifeline evaporates, Arizona faces a cultural change over water use
