Marvelous Explorations through Science and Stories: MESS®
Overview
Marvelous Explorations Through Science and Stories: MESS® is a science- and literacy-based Head Start curriculum expansion project developed by a partnership among the Florida Museum of Natural History, Alachua County Library District/Youth Services, and Alachua County Public Schools Early Intervention Services/Prenatal to 5 Year Old Program. The goals of MESS are to promote the academic success of children by fostering preschoolers' language and literacy skills, curiosity, and interesting in reading and science by enriching the language, literacy and science opportunities in classroom and home settings, and by increasing parental involvement in children's learning in school and out. An Institute of Museum and Library Services National Leadership Grant and a ChevronTexaco Foundation Touch Science Grant provided initial funding for MESS. MESS is implemented in nearly 40 Head Start classrooms in Alachua County, Florida. An Innovation and Improvement Project Grant from the Administration for Children and Families is supporting the further development and expansion of MESS in Head Start classrooms in Marion County, Florida.
Partners
Alachua County Library District
Alachua County Public Schools
Childhood Development Services, Inc.
Marion County Public Library System
Silver River Museum and Environmental Education Center
Staff
Betty A. Dunckel, Ph.D., PI/PD
Shari Ellis, Ph.D., Co-PI, Marion County Project Director
Jeanne Chamberlin, Alachua County Project Director
Domenic Durante, MESS Coordinator
Molly McKay-Easters, MESS Coordinator
Barbara Ornstein, MESS Coordinator
Funding
Administration for Children and Families
Alachua County Board of County Commission's Community Agency Partnership Program
ChevronTexaco Foundation
Florida Museum Associates
Institute of Museum and Library Services
(Highlights of the Month)
Thomas H. Maren Foundation
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