ACCESSIBLE EARLY LEARNING. The Eau Claire for Tomorrow (EC4T) program is celebrating its 20th year this school year, providing no-cost early learning for ECASD students and their families. (Photo via EC4T site)

As kids throughout the Chippewa Valley are settling into the new school year, the Eau Claire Area School District is also celebrating a special milestone: the 20th anniversary of the Eau Claire for Tomorrow (EC4T) program.

The program includes 16 community childcare or preschool sites across Eau Claire as well as Prairie Ridge Early Learning School. Laurie Haus, Early Learning principal of those sites, said EC4T is for all families who want their 4-year-old children to be included in a public early learning kindergarten program. Importantly, “the program offers high quality early learning experiences to all children in our community,” Haus said.

EC4T launched in 2005 and was one of Wisconsin’s earliest implementations of a community and school district initiative to offer no-cost 4K programming in a school or childcare setting. Since its launch two decades ago, EC4T has continued to see success, reflected in the students’ improvements across literacy and math skills, social emotional learning, and motor skills.

“Four-year-old students are so eager to learn and experience all the fun and learning in the classroom and outdoors.” –Early Learning Principal, Laurie Haus, and Early Learning Secretary, Melissa Devine

It is a half-day program that families must enroll in, for children who are 4 years old on or before Sept. 1. Enrollment opens in February for the following school year, though applications will be accepted at any time for the current school year. There is no out-of-pocket cost for families.

“After we started the program, many other districts reached out to find out about how it worked, learning about program data, and advice for planning for their programs,” Haus said.

Haus and Melissa Devine, longtime Early Learning secretary, explained the numerous benefits for both the children and their families part of EC4T. On average each year, about 600 students are part of the program. Additionally, the Early Learning program serves about 150 students through the district Heat Start and Early Childhood Special Education programming.

Each EC4T classroom operates with a state Department of Public Instruction licensed teacher and uses curriculum supporting social emotional learning; play-based learning; exposure to early literacy and math skills; and daily fine motor and large motor activities.

“A benefit to this early education opportunity is that developmental, speech, and other student needs can be identified early,” Haus and Devine said.

Family involvement activities are also offered beyond the half-day program, often held at other community 4K sites and other places such as the Children’s Museum of Eau Claire, the UW-Eau Claire Planetarium, YMCA pool, and more.

“It’s extremely rewarding to provide a positive first school experience for young students and their families. Students grow and learn so quickly and the progress is evident and fun to celebrate,” Haus and Devine said. “Four-year-old students are so eager to learn and experience all the fun and learning in the classroom and outdoors.”

“The collaboration between the community sites and the school district is alive and well thanks to the ongoing feedback of families and community partners.”

Ultimately, EC4T’s success – going on 20 years now – is thanks to the classroom teachers, assistants, specialist, and behind-the-scenes coordination of the family services and office staff.

Learn more about Eau Claire for Tomorrow (EC4T) and more ECASD Early Learning opportunities online • Apply to be part of EC4T, which accepts applications any time for the current school year, online