Veteran SMART coordinator Gina Grote handles the year-round SMART program at Central Douglas Family YMCA in Roseburg. Her roster includes 23 pre-kindergartners and 16 dedicated volunteer readers.

With a toothless smile, a participating pre-kindergartner named Nadia said, "I feel so happy at SMART. I like to read to two people. That way if I don't know a word I can ask."

Research indicates that the earlier the intervention, the better chance a child has for success. Thus, the SMART pre-k pilot program was born. It started in 2006 at the Central Douglas County Family YMCA and Patrick Elementary in Gold Hill and has grown to five sites throughout the state.

With an early start, kids learn not just to read but to love reading. Debbie McKellar, YMCA Child Care Director, agrees, ”I always thought SMART should be serving younger kids. That one-on-one help at the preschool level is invaluable. I love the pre-k program!”

In April, SMART shifted the site coordinator role from a paid to a volunteer position. Debbie was determined to keep SMART so decided to incorporate it into the daily responsibilities of her staff. But she didn’t stop there.

Debbie and Kathy Henderson, SMART Area Manager, took it one step further and extended SMART’s service into the summer, making it a year-round reading program. Both agree that the partnership directly benefits the children of Douglas County, while also supporting the child care values of the YMCA.

Lori Ashcraft, YMCA Assistant Childcare Director, said, “When [parents] found out the SMART program would be carried through the summer they were delighted - knowing their kids are getting something extra special. And the kids love it, too. They even want to go to SMART in lieu of recess.”

SMART’s pre-k program at the YMCA is going into its third year, and is becoming one of the fastest growing SMART sites in Douglas County.

Gina coordinated the SMART program at two Douglas County schools for five years, before accepting a job at the YMCA. When SMART approached the YMCA about the pre-k pilot, Gina was a natural fit to coordinate the program.

She is thrilled to deliver SMART year-round. Many of her team of volunteer readers are members of the YMCA. She said, “The younger [kids] love all the extra attention and our adults feel they’re doing even more to help kids.”

SMART serves 650 children at 19 sites in Douglas County, and hopes to serve even more pre-k kids in the future.

Learn more about becoming a SMART site coordinator, or sign up today to read with kids in the 2008-09 school year!

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To protect student identity, names and details have been changed.