For Outreach Partners

Countdown to Kindergarten is a statewide project involving many nonprofit organizations, public school systems, libraries, child care providers, state and local government agencies, and others working to ensure that all Maryland’s young children have nurturing experiences and arrive at school ready to succeed.

The staff members of these organizations are well-positioned to carry the school-readiness message to parents.  Many organizations have used the “Tips” booklet to enrich and extend conversations with parents.  Others have used “Tips” to initiate conversations about school readiness where none existed.

The following resources are available for outreach efforts:

“Tips” booklets for parents
“Tips for Turning Everyday Activities into Learning Activities” is published in English and Spanish, with 15 other languages available for download from this website. 
» download "Tips"

Event materials
Countdown to Kindergarten has a limited number of items available for use for community-based, school readiness events, such as banners, t-shirts, magnets, and activity ideas.  If you want to use these for a school-readiness event, please email ctk@mdchildcare.org.

Guide to engaging cultural institutions
In partnership with the Baltimore City School Readiness Initiative, Countdown to Kindergarten has produced a guide for advocates interested in engaging local cultural institutions in school readiness.  Museums, historical societies, and other site-based cultural institutions in Baltimore have been eager to expand their offerings for young children and to align these with the Maryland Model for School Readiness. The “lessons learned” from the Baltimore experience are available in this guide.
» View Guide