Early Childhood
•Al's Pals:
Kids Making Healthy Choices
•Pre-School Monart
Kids Making Healthy Choices
•Pre-School Monart
The first five years of life are a critical time of development - especially social/emotional development which is a key foundation block for early learning. Through its partnerships with 30 early childhood centers Alternatives supports the social/emotion development of young children by providing visual art instruction, teacher training, and curriculum resources to center staff. Partnering centers include:
- Al's Pals: Kids Making Healthy Choices
- Pre-School Monart
- HCAT
Al’s Pals: Kids Making Healthy Choices is a nationally recognized curriculum that includes easy-to-implement lesson plans, puppets, music, role play, brainstorming, storytelling, and other interactive approaches. Children who participate in Al’s Pals are 2-5 times more likely to demonstrate pro-social skills than children who do not participate in Al’s Pals. This project is also coordinated with Smart Beginnings Virginia Peninsula Coalition and the Virginia Star Quality Initiative.
Creativity
Civic Leadership
Empowerment
HCATAlternatives,
Inc. will provide training and technical assistance to community, faith, and
military based centers to assess organizational practices and improve nutrition
and physical activity of children. HCAT aims to formalize the structure
of the early childhood network to improve opportunities for healthy foods and
physical activity for children 2-8 and institutionalize changes in policy and
practice. Examples will include training in best practices of nutrition and
physical activity, creating center policy to promote healthy snacks and
celebrations, examining current menus to support better nutrition, role
modeling, and how to increase physical activity in the classroom.
Participating Centers
Agape Early Learning Center
Participating Centers
Agape Early Learning Center
Downtown Hampton Child
Development Center
General Bob & Jean Russ-LAFB
General Bob & Jean Russ-LAFB
Hampton Roads Community Action Plan
Hampton University
Headstart Newport News
New Mt. Olive Christian Academy
Six House
Tick Tock Around the Clock
Warwick Kids Academy
Williamsburg James City County Head Start