Programs : PRESCHOOL+ PROGRAM

In the Philippines 15% of poor children never attend school. ICM’s preschools are offered to these most vulnerable children usually found in communities with limited or no access to educational opportunities. The goal is to prepare students to enter the public school system by giving them a head start on reading, writing and math skills.

The overall benefit of ICM’s preschool program reaches far beyond education. Students receive nutritious meals each day prepared by teams of parents who are taught the value of a balanced diet. Parents also receive weekly classes in ICM’s VHL curriculum, emphasizing the importance of values and proper health care and providing training in numerous livelihood opportunities. All of this is delivered in the context of a new network of friendship and support provided by the partnering church which hosts the program. ICM’s Preschool+ inspires hope to entire communities and shows new potential for the next generation.

ICM is operating 80 Preschool+ Programs during the 2010/11 school year. That’s 2,000 students and their families who are benefiting.

25 at-risk children selected from each poor community receive:

• A 10-month, 5-day-per-week education program designed to prepare them for public school (basic literacy is often needed for entry)
• One meal and one snack per day (prepared by moms)
• School uniform, supplies, stationery, desks, chalkboard, chairs
• Medical checks (including de-worming, immunization checks, height/weight monitoring, dental hygiene lessons, personal hygiene instruction)
• To facilitate these schools, ICM employs two teachers per school, bringing added financial stability to an additional 94 families.
• Yearend graduation ceremony

The parents of the preschoolers:

• Receive weekly VHL education course, featuring training in values, health care and livelihood opportunities
• Gain the social capital of the network of preschool moms
• Are invited to improve their own literacy by participating in classroom learning

Elementary Scholarship Program

Graduates of ICM’s preschools who continue into the Philippine public school system often cannot afford the incidental costs of “free” public education. ICM extends elementary scholarships to these students which cover the cost of uniforms, supplies and school fees. The elementary students also receive encouragement and homework help each Saturday to ensure their continued success throughout the school year