The Big Lift, a San Mateo County preschool to third grade initiative, administers four evidence-based strategies with the aim of increasing the percentage of students reading proficiently by third grade. This collective impact initiative provides high-quality preschool, summer learning, family engagement, and attendance programming to the county’s most vulnerable youngest learners.
Key Pillars to Success
High-Quality Preschool
The Big Lift high-quality preschool program serves 1,900 kids ages 3-5 years old at 37 sites preparing children for more success in kindergarten.
Inspiring Summers
The Big Lift Inspiring Summers program serves 1,500 rising kindergarten to third-grade students at nine sites. Inspiring Summers aims to support student’s academic and social-emotional skills and interrupt the well-documented summer learning slide that is present for economically disadvantaged children.
Family Engagement
The Big Lift family engagement pillar is embedded in the Big Lift preschool programs, providing supports and education for reading at home and involvement in children’s education.
Attendance
The Big Lift attendance pillar provides customized attendance messaging to preschool-second grade students with the objective of reducing chronic absenteeism.