BOLD ECI (BOLD Early Childhood Initiative)

WHY GIVE?  50% of Minnesota children are not ready for Kindergarten.  Our goal is to find ways to connect with kids and their families, and to help families find ways to prepare their kids before Kindergarten starts. 

$1600 is the Challenge Amount to meet this year, and is provided by these local banks! Give them a personal thank you when you stop in next time!

• F & M Bank Minnesota in Olivia - $500
• HomeTown Bank in Olivia - $500
• Citizens Alliance Bank in Lake Lillian - $300
• Frandsen Bank & Trust in Bird Island - $300 

 

BOLD ECI PROJECTS
BOLD ECI helps families with young children, and caregivers through literacy activities, fun community learning events, and much more! Many of our activities are free or at a very minimal cost to ease any financial burden to families. 

Next Spring, BOLD ECI will be providing funds to lower the cost of classes for our area childcare providers if they are interested in working towards a 1 Star Parent Aware rating. A Parent Aware 1-4 Star Rating would mean that families could apply for scholarship funds that can then be used at Parent Aware rated childcare providers or Parent Aware rated preschools. 

Our free annual Winter Concert where Bob the Beachcomber and The Teddy Bear Band have helped us gather families together not only for the Concert but also to swap books, and to check out area agencies represented at our Mini-Resource Fair. Look for us on a Saturday morning in Feb/Mar.

Books-n-Baseball gives away 100 free tickets a year to a Stingers Game in June where the players do a Read Aloud on the field to preschoolers, and the kids get to run the bases after the game.

12 changing tables were added to local establishments, books were bought for F.R.E.D. (Fathers Read Every Day) Events, and awards were purchased for kids doing the 1000 Books Before Kindergarten at each local library. Check it out.

We have upgraded the playground and Lake Lillian and are in the processe of upgrading playgrounds in the Bird Island and Olivia, along with adding new equipment for 2-5s. 

We are continually advocates for Early Childhood and are  the word out about the importance of early childhood in getting children ready for school.  We have to work for our youngest community members until they can speak for themselves.

GET INVOLVED WITH BOLD ECI - Our kids are our future, and parents make it happen.

LIKE US on FACEBOOK at www.facebook.com/BOLDECI 

Or visit our new website at www.boldeci.com

Please contact Renae Saunders with any questions at renae.saunders@bold.k12.mn.us

More About Us - The BOLD Early Childhood Initiative was formed the spring of 2011 in partnership with Southwest Initiative Foundation. Our Vision is statement is "Uniting Bird Island, Olivia and Lake Lillian to promote the overall development of children ages birth-five and support their caregivers."