Waterford Partners with Nonprofits to Pilot Early Learning Program for Homeless Children and Families

Project Hope Alliance Uses Cloud-Based Curriculum to Ensure Academic
Success for Homeless Children and Their Families

COSTA MESA, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Project
Hope Alliance, a nonprofit organization committed to ending the
cycle of homelessness for Orange County families through education and
stable housing, recently launched its Bright Start pilot program
using Waterford
Institute and Every
Monday Matters curriculum. Through Bright Start—the newest
component of Project Hope Alliance’s education program—Orange County’s
neediest children will receive the skills and knowledge they need to
walk into the classroom and excel.

“Here at Project Hope Alliance, we see firsthand the impact of
homelessness on our youngest clients,” says Project Hope Alliance CEO
Jennifer Friend. “We know that homelessness in early childhood can lead
to struggles with academic performance, classroom engagement and social
skills in elementary school. We also know that, with the support of our
community, children can overcome these obstacles.”

In its pilot stage, the Bright Start program will target 26
elementary-age children served by Project Hope Alliance’s programs. The
organization provides each child with a laptop configured with the
Waterford Early Learning reading, math and science curriculum as well as
Internet access and take-home materials.

Waterford Early Learning is a comprehensive, computer-based K-2
curriculum designed by the nonprofit research center, Waterford
Institute. With Waterford, children are provided an adaptive learning
experience that is individualized to their unique abilities and needs.

During time with their volunteer mentor, students will also engage with
Every Monday Matters curriculum to deepen their understanding of their
own self worth, grow in their awareness of self and social
responsibility, and build a stronger sense of self-confidence.

“Our goal is to have each child understand how much they matter in this
world and to deeply appreciate how much they have to offer to the
experience of those around them,” Friend said.

By pairing Waterford’s academic curriculum with inspirational curriculum
crafted by Every Monday Matters, Bright Start will bring each
child a structured, assessment and researched -based learning
experience; the love, mentorship and support of a caring volunteer; and,
finally, serve to empower their families with skills and strategies to
best meet the needs of these early learners.

In bringing together these extraordinary partners to create Bright
Start, Project Hope Alliance promises to spark an exciting and
innovative approach to meeting the academic and socio-emotional needs of
children experiencing homelessness. “This is a special opportunity to
contribute to the outstanding work Project Hope Alliance is doing, while
furthering our nonprofit mission of improving accessibility, equity and
excellence for all our youngest learners to position them for a
lifetime of learning and success,” Waterford President Benjamin Heuston
said.

About Waterford Institute

Waterford
Institute is a nonprofit research center providing proven reading,
math and science learning models for nearly 40 years. Waterford’s
award-winning, cloud-based curriculum, assessments, teacher tools and
professional development create a classroom experience that empowers
educators and adapts to each child’s early learning needs.

Based on decades of research and used successfully by millions of
students, Waterford Early Learning is a comprehensive, cloud-based K-2
and 3rd grade remedial curriculum designed to deliver online instruction
tailored at home or in school. With the deepest library of over 7,000
engaging learning activities and the most advanced sequencers in the
industry, children are provided an experience that is individualized to
their specific abilities and needs.

About Project Hope Alliance

Project
Hope Alliance was formed in 1989 and seeks to end the cycle of
homelessness, one child at a time. The organization supports homeless
students and their families, meeting the unique academic and
psychosocial needs of these children. Project Hope Alliance take a
two-generational approach to ending homelessness: The organization ends
homelessness today through innovative rapid rehousing
programs–providing stable housing and financial independence to
homeless families; Their team is ending homelessness tomorrow
with one-of-a-kind academic empowerment programs uniquely tailored to
the needs (and strengths) of children experiencing homelessness.

Since 2012, Project Hope Alliance’s Family Stability Program has worked
with more than 120 families to prevent or end homelessness by moving the
families into permanent housing with financial independence. These
families, representing over 300 children, have moved from motels and
shelters into homes where the children can study, play and grow in a
safe environment.

To learn more about Project Hope Alliance, visit www.projecthopealliance.org.

About Every Monday Matters

Founded in 2007, Every Monday Matters (EMM)
is dedicated to helping create a new normal where goodness is cool,
authentic is real, values are valued, what matters most actually
matters, being accountable is embraced, doing the right thing is the
only thing, and each of us understands how much and why we matter to
ourselves, those we care about and work or attend school with, our
communities, and the world.

EMM creates and delivers programs
that allow educational and youth service organizations, companies,
and the general public to participate in making this vision a
reality…one Monday, one action at a time. EMM’s youth programs inspire
and engage students to get involved and make a positive difference.
Their programs focus on advancing students’ understanding of self and
social responsibility and how much each and every one of us matters.

Over the past six years, EMM has impacted the lives of hundreds of
thousands of students, in 42 states and six countries, through its You
Matter(TM) K-12 curriculum. EMM will be developing the hands-on K-3
student and parent activities for the Bright Start program drawing from
its widely adopted and highly creative K-12 You Matter(TM) curriculum
and ancillary adult content.

Contacts

Snapp Conner
A. Cory Maloy, 801-806-0150
cory@snappconner.com