Kindergarten, Here We Come!
Gwinnett County Public Library
Innovation Synopsis
Gwinnett County Public Library (GCPL) leveraged its expertise in early literacy to establish partnerships in support of a community effort to increase readiness for Kindergarten in young children. This effort has created a robust array of services and programs that incorporate local leaders, children’s authors, and parents. These efforts were initiated to address the issue of young children not being ready to enter Kindergarten in Gwinnett County.
Challenge/Opportunity
Gwinnett County faced a crisis in early learning as a majority of young children arrived at school not ready for Kindergarten. Every school in the county reported a significant percentage of Kindergarten students lacked the skills they needed to thrive in Kindergarten. Schools have also been challenged to meet the needs of a highly diverse community that includes parents with low to no English language skills and no experience with the U.S. school system.
Understanding that 90% of a child’s brain is developed by age 5 and that the chances of a student’s overall success decrease when they begin school without the necessary skills, a coalition of community organizations including Gwinnett County Public Library worked together to improve school readiness.
This coalition worked to increase community awareness of the issue, build high quality early learning resources and programs, and to solidify a collective approach to success.
Key Elements of Innovation
GCPL expanded its signature Kindergarten readiness program, Kindergarten, Here We Come! And delivered it in every corner of the county. The weeklong program helps children to visualize being in Kindergarten, including experiencing a school bus.
GCPL worked with county public schools to embed engagement ambassadors at library programs for ages 0-5 to share tips and resources for families.
GCPL partnered with Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta (CHOA) to address the socio-emotional needs of children and families through CHOA’s Raising Resilience initiative.
GCPL expanded the reach of its Mobile Library, bringing books, programming, & resources to include economically marginalized neighborhoods with high Latino populations.
GCPL enhanced its early learning storytimes and programs, including adding more bilingual programs. These programs include activities for children to address their basic literacy, fine motor, & behavioral skills as well as tips for caregivers on developmental milestones.
Achieved Outcomes
In 2023, Kindergarten readiness across Gwinnett County improved to just over 50% in 2023.
GCPL contributed more than 5,000 early literacy and Kindergarten readiness programs, attended by over 200,000 people.
77% of county census tracts saw improvement or stabilization of child well-being in 2023.
