About the Cause: Ready! for Education

My cross-country ride is in support of the the Panhandle Alliance for Education, a northern Idaho group which supports public education. Since its inception five years ago, PAFE has been all about creating chances for students and families in this corner of Idaho.

Guiding this thinking is the notion that when you give children a chance, they can be great!

PAFE is launching an innovative program to help preschool children prepare for school. The program, called Ready! for Kindergarten, will help families with children from birth to age 5. The goal is to empower parents as the first and most influential teacher in a child's life.

Through Ready! for Kindergarten, trained teachers reach up to 20 parents at a time in a classroom setting. Each class of 20 parent participants is oriented to a specific child's age: 0-1, 2, 3, 4, 5. Parents leave each class with a new sense of empowerment and with high quality books, toys, and an understanding of how to play purposefully with their toddlers.

The program aims to help parents prepare their children with basic readiness tools; letters and sounds, math and reasoning, social and emotional skills. Through funding from Panhandle Alliance for Education -- and your generosity, if you'll pledge or contribute to my ride -- this program is offered free to families in the Bonner County School District.