What is Head Start?

According to the Office of the Administration for Children & Families, Head Start programs promote the school readiness of infants, toddlers, and preschool-aged children from low-income families. Services are provided in a variety of settings including centers, family child care, and children's own home. Head Start programs also engage parents or other key family members in positive relationships, with a focus on family wellbeing. Parents participate in leadership roles, including having a say in program operations.

More on Head Start
More on Head Start

What is Title 1?

Title I is one of the federal funding streams that supplements how much money each state allocates for schools. There are other “Title” funds too, I-VII, all aiming to aid students who have burdens that may get in the way of accessing an equitable education. These burdens include poverty, homelessness, living in state-run institutions, living in isolated rural districts, and those still learning the English language. (There is a separate funding stream for students with disabilities.)

According to the U.S. Department of Education, Title I was created “to ensure economically disadvantaged children receive a fair, equitable, and high-quality education, by helping to close academic achievement gaps.”

More on Title I
More on Title I
our work

Active play programs

Phase 01
Early Head Start Active Play: for ages 0-3

The first phase.
Ages 0-3

Sizzle y Pop

Our Early Childhood program begins with the simplest movements that help develop balance and gross motor skills. They’re often linked directly to the books the children are given (think of crawling like a bear while reading “Going on a Bear Hunt.”)

Families are also introduced to Sizzle and Pop, an illustrated selection of simple exercises that get kids moving and having fun. These exercises are adapted to fit in the home or daycare environment.

Phase 02
Head Start Active Play: for ages 3-5

The second phase.
Ages 3-5


Sizzle y Pop

Our familiar “Sizzle and Pop” activities are now introduced to the Head Start classroom and playground, where the kids can do them together.  

We add simple and fun exercises that begin to challenge and develop finer motor skills, while continuing to develop balance and strength.

Phase 03
K-6 Active Play Programs: for ages 5-12

The third, and final, phase.
Ages 5-12

Sizzle y Pop

As the kids move up through the grades, we expand Sizzle and Pop to include more diverse and challenging exercises. By now, the kids are familiar with the quick classroom breaks that get them ready to learn and are choosing the exercises themselves.

Club Recess Run

We also offer “Recess Run Club,” an active break that supplements regularly scheduled recess periods. Teachers lead their classes on a 10-20 minute walk or jog on school grounds. They keep track of their daily sessions and add up the cumulative distance covered by the class. They can then incorporate this information into other curricular activity (math, geography, etc.) as they compare the distance they’ve covered to distances on a map, leading them towards a goal destination.

Club de la Carrera

Finally, we offer after-school Run Clubs to elementary schools, often in partnership with local Recreation Departments. Warm-ups, games, and relays give the kids a chance to enjoy running as play.

our work

Early Literacy Programs