What is the NOVA Award?
In the universe, a NOVA is a star that suddenly increases
in brightness to several times its normal magnitude. The NOVA
Awards honor innovation in programming or operational excellence
within Boulder County non-profit sector. The NOVA Awards were established by The Community Foundation in 1997.
The NOVA Award Winner for 2010 is PASO (Providers Advancing School Outcomes)
PASO, Providers Advancing School Outcomes, is part of the larger Colorado
Statewide Parent Coalition and promotes equitable education for all children
and their families. The most grievous of educational inequities for children
is addressed aggressively: the significant educational achievement gap
between Latino and majority children.
70% of Latino children up to age 5 are cared for through networks of
families, friends, or neighbors. PASO adapts current theory and best
practices of early care and education into a curriculum that is culturally,
linguistically, and experientially appropriate for Spanish speaking Latino
Family, Friend, and Neighbor providers who have previously been
educationally disadvantaged. These providers are then in a position to
provide professional-level early care and education to the children in their
care, preparing those kids for school and addressing the achievement gap
through true prevention.
PASO's training program combines formal instruction with hands-on, in-home
mentoring by trained mentors and its curriculum of 130 hours is equivalent
to the community college certificate in early care and education and
significantly more than the 19 hours of training required to obtain a
license in Friends, Family, and Network care. PASO is also unique because it
incorporates a strong early health screening and intervention for the
children of the providers and of the served families.
Since 2006, 40 Spanish-speaking childcare providers have received intensive
health care and early childhood education training. 400 Latino parents have
been supported about what they can do at home to help their children become
ready for Kindergarten. 350 Latino children have experienced improved
quality early care and education, and the PASO program has been replicated
in Weld County.
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