Get a jump-start on your preschool child’s education by enrolling him or her in the Broward County Public Schools’ Summer Voluntary Pre-Kindergarten Program (VPK).  The program is free of charge and runs from June 5, 2007 to August 2, 2007, from 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monday through Friday at the following schools:

            NORTH AREA: Deerfield Park, Hunt, Maplewood, Pompano Beach
            NORTH CENTRAL AREA: Challenger, Larkdale, Lloyd Estates
            SOUTH CENTRAL AREA: Plantation, Silver Ridge, Walker
            SOUTH AREA: Bethune, Pembroke Pines, Silver Shores

To be eligible for the program, a child must be at least 5-year-old by September 1, 2007, and they must not have participated in the school year VPK program.  You will need to have proof of Florida residency and the child’s birth certificate for age verification.

The Florida Voluntary Pre-kindergarten program prepares children for kindergarten by providing preschoolers with the skills they need to become good readers and successful students.  Instruction is based on the Florida Department of Education VPK Performance Standards.  These standards identify what children entering kindergarten need to know and be able to do in seven areas of development including: physical health, approaches to learning, social and emotional development, language and communication, emergent literacy, cognitive development and general knowledge and motor development.

The Early Learning Coalition, through its’ agent Family Central, is responsible for determining VPK eligibility for the Voluntary Pre-Kindergarten Summer Program.  This program is also available at selected community preschool centers.

For a list of registration locations and times, go to www.elcbroward.org or www.familycentral.org or call or call 954-724-7577.