Educational First Steps

EFS PROVIDED: WEEKLY VIRTUAL OR ON-SITE MENTORING AND CONSULTING, SCHOLARSHIPS TOWARD COURSES IN CHILD DEVELOPMENT AND EDUCATION, BOOKS, SUPPLIES, FIELD TRIPS, PLAYGROUND EQUIPMENT, ENRICHMENT PROGRAMS IN ART, MUSIC, MATH AND SCIENCE, AND TARGETED FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE TO IMPROVE PROGRAMS AND FACILITIES.Educational First Steps presently serves 4,869 children from birth to age five of which 3,407 are in quality and/or accredited learning environments, 840 teachers and educators, 102 independently owned-operated partner centers, and 108 licensed and/or registered home-based providers across 6 counties in North Texas. The children we impact are 49% African American, 30% Latino, 12% Caucasian, 3% Asian, and 6% identifying as other. EFS also provides professional development, onsite mentoring, and classroom instruction to teachers and educators in 14 school districts in Dallas, Tarrant, Collin, Johnson, Denton, and Grayson Counties. These caregivers, almost exclusively women of color, live in the same neighborhoods as the children they teach, typically have a GED or high school diploma, and are paid minimum wage.