In 2016, SPARK launched its flagship outreach and parent engagement initiative, Gateway to Early Learning: Play. Learn. Connect. As part of this outreach strategy, SPARK used The Basics to engage families.
For example, recognizing challenges for families and healthcare workers to keep children engaged in medical waiting rooms, SPARK with VNA Health Care clinics to transform their family waiting room into a space where parents could learn about The Basics.
SPARK was created in 2012 as the result of community concerns that reflected the challenges facing Aurora families through socio-economic, racial, and cultural barriers and the lack of authentic parent voices involved in addressing these challenges.
One of the main purposes of SPARK is to ensure families are aware of the importance of early learning and by connecting them with programs and services.
In 2020, to further engage and support parents in their child’s learning outside of formal care or school settings, SPARK applied for and received the Community Parenting Saturation grant. The grant allows SPARK to broaden and deepen their existing parental supports and test effective and proven strategies that helps parents in their role as their child’s first teacher.
The Basics is a parent engagement strategy currently being utilized to raise awareness of the importance of early learning.
Outside of health clinics, The Basics work continues in Aurora by way of Parent Cafes. The three main goals for Parent Cafes are:
To find more information about the work that Aurora is doing to implement The Basics, visit their website here.
SPARK Aurora