Media & Press

Media contact:
Debbie Ham, SELF Director
director@selfwa.org
13504 NE 84th St. Suite 103-137
Vancouver, WA 98682

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SELF RECEIVES GRANT FROM THRIVE BY FIVE FOR CLARK COUNTY EARLY LEARNING

Vancouver, WA, January 20, 2011 – SELF (Support for Early Learning and Families) has been awarded a grant in the amount of $20,500 to support and advance the work of early learning in Clark County.  These funds will be directed toward children birth through five so that children are equipped and ready to enter kindergarten. 

These funds will help fund a statewide program called Love, Talk, Play which was developed by Thrive by Five and will be implemented through community early learning collaborative organizations like SELF.  In total, Thrive by Five awarded 10 grants to early learning programs throughout the state to engage parents with a simple message of what is important to children for healthy growth and development.    

“We are honored to receive this grant and are excited to be able to reach and impact more young families in Clark County,” said Debbie Ham, Executive Director of SELF. 

SELF will use its grant to reach parents in Clark County who are not part of a formal early learning network to encourage and provide tools to nurture and educate young children.  This grant will fund outreach activities directed toward families with information, materials and tips to help families ensure school readiness.  Outreach includes story times at the library and Ready & Play and Building Blocks events at local schools.  A specific target of this grant is reaching Spanish-speaking families by creating culturally competent materials. 

About SELF (Support for Early Learning and Families):
SELF formed a collaboration of early learning organizations in 2001, beginning with six partners.  Today, SELF represents 23 partner organizations, made up of educators, health and mental health agencies, preschools and child care programs and professionals.  For a full listing of partners and to obtain additional information, go to www.selfwa.org. 

About Thrive by Five:
Started in 2006 by Washington state businesses and foundations, Thrive by Five Washington is the state’s nonprofit public-private partnership in early learning. Thrive mobilizes the statewide commitment to early learning by raising public awareness about the importance of early learning for all children birth to age 5; identifying and driving proven programs, best practices and promising models across the state; and collaborating with early learning and K-12 partners to build an early learning system that helps families and caregivers give their children the best start in school and life possible. For more information about Thrive by Five Washington: www.thrivebyfivewa.org.