On June 15, United for Children, a United Way early childhood education initiative of United Way of Lake, LaPorte and Porter Counties, hosted an A-Mazing Grant Giveaway at BellaBoo’s, where 15 grants were awarded to local schools and educational centers. The grants will be used to get schools to ready to enact the Minds in Motion maze in Fall 2015.
The grants were awarded to the following schools and educational centers: Jane Ball Elementary, Three Creeks Elementary, Ridge View Elementary, Purdue North Central Panther Cubs, Notre Dame Elementary, Rolling Prairie Elementary, Westville Elementary, St. Stanislaus, Michigan City Area Schools Occupational Therapists Traveling Kits (3), Nativity of Our Savior, Liberty Elementary, Porter Lakes, Duneland YMCA, and Thomas Jefferson Elementary.
Minds in Motion is a motor skills maze that strengthens the vestibular system of the human ear. The vestibular system gives balance and stability throughout the entire body. Through strengthening the vestibular system, students have a better level of comfort of where they are in time and space.
“United for Children is thrilled to provide a bridge to a connection that can make such a difference in learning. Communities using Minds in Motion daily are seeing 2 and 3 levels of improvement in reading and comprehension,” said Kim Olesker, United for Children regional director. “To bring this opportunity to all educators and child care providers in the region is a dream.”
The grant signals completion of the first phase of training to the area’s more than 62 schools and educational professionals in three counties seeking to strengthen motor skills in order to build cognitive skills.
“Granting the 15 schools/providers with the equipment creates a partnership to share growth measurements of the children. Knowing the crazy schedule of teaching professionals to find time to source out all the components is daunting and a stumbling block,” said Olesker. “Inviting them to the A-Maze-ing Grant Giveaway we were able to get the equipment in their hands and share their enthusiasm with the public, the principals and their superintendents. The excitement is palpable.”
United for Children, is the regional collaboration that supports the development of the young child from birth to 3rd grade.
United Way of Porter County leads, unites, and inspires our community to improve lives. United Way invests in 3 core strategies: Education, Financial Stability and Health. We help nearly 40,000 Porter County residents per year build better lives. For more information, visit www.unitedwaypc.org, www.unitedforchildren.org & www.nwivolunteer.org or call 219-464-3583.
