Bronze Villagers Tackle Kindergarten Gap for Black Children in Howard County

The Bronze Villagers, an organization dedicated to advancing kindergarten readiness among African American children, recently sponsored an event at Hanover Hills Elementary School to help parents prepare their children for success.

The session, held March 14, equipped approximately 20 families with practical strategies to prepare their infants, toddlers, and preschoolers for school success. The initiative is in response to state statistics showing that many Black children in the Howard County Public School System are not ready for kindergarten.

The deep dive into kindergarten readiness featured Tracy B. Jones, Founder and President at Young STEM and retired Coordinator of Early Childhood Programs for the Howard County Public School System. Jones focused on equipping parents with vital knowledge covering three core areas:

• Phonological Awareness, emphasizing the critical importance of children understanding the sounds associated with letters of the alphabet;
• Learning Styles, discussing effective methods for how young children learn best; and
• Personalized Approaches, helping parents identify specific learning strategies best suited to their individual child.

Gerry B. Taylor, Founder and Chair of the Bronze Villagers, said the event is part of a larger push to mobilize the African American community around the importance of kindergarten readiness for Black children.

“We want to build a contagious movement within the African American community,” she said.

To support continued learning at home, families who attended the event received picture books and basic alphabet sound cards and otherlearning items. The Bronze Villagers continue to foster its mission through monthly, free PAAC (Parents of African American Children) Kollege sessions, which are offered over Zoom from October to May for interested parents. For more information on joining this movement, visit Bronze Villagers.