Annual Reports + Financials
Through SproutFive’s work – for the past 100 years – generations of littles thrive.
This year we were able to add 201 littles and their families to our legacy.
;)
On Behalf of SproutFive
There is a concept in child development and broader psychology known as self-regulation. In the simplest of terms, self-regulation is the ability to understand and manage your behaviors and emotions. It is the process that allows us to focus on a task, calm ourselves down, and adjust to change. Self-regulation is a skill that requires work and practice to master, especially when dealing with littles who have experienced trauma.
At SproutFive™, one of the ways we assess self-regulation is by using a measure that teaches how a little regulates their own emotions and behaviors. The tool assesses littles as they manage feelings, follow limits and expectations, and take care of their own needs appropriately. Using colored bands that show the range of widely held expectations for littles their age, the assessment is completed. If a little’s knowledge, skills, and abilities are evaluated at a level within the range shown by the colored band, the little’s performance meets (or exceeds!) widely held expectations.
If we were to consider SproutFive’s “self-regulation” over the past year, I would say we are well exceeding widely held expectations. Despite another year of COVID-19 uncertainties, and continued strain on the field of early education, SproutFive has been able to focus, adapt, and grow our team, our practices, and our impact.
It is my honor to share with you the 2021-2022 Impact Report. However, before sharing in the success of this past year, I want to take a moment to pause and say “thank you.” If you are reading this Impact Report it means you have played a role in helping develop the “self-regulation” of SproutFive. Be it in giving your interest, voice, talent, time or treasure, you have helped us in serving our mission to ensure every child benefits from a holistic, high-quality early education. For that, I cannot thank you enough.
After reviewing the impact we have had this year, please consider joining us at the forefront of the movement to ensure littles have access to the holistic learning experiences they need to develop socially, emotionally, cognitively, and physically during their critical first five years of life.
For a stronger beginning, and beyond,
Colin Page McGinnis
Chief Executive Officer
The Road Ahead
When the things that many of us take for granted—effective schools, spaces to play, decent housing, safe streets—are nonexistent or marginal at best, families with young children, especially those already in fragile situations due to the effects of systemic poverty and racism, are not afforded equal access to the opportunities needed to thrive.
For a century, SproutFive has focused on delivering and leveraging a holistic, high-quality early education as a mechanism for community development. By coordinating classroom instruction with cooperative case management of families, we are able to address critical needs of littles and families while investing in the physical and social infrastructure of the neighborhoods we serve.
Our schools utilize a model and approach adapted from a century’s worth of experience, aligned with a discipline of practice similar to that used in the community schools movement. In doing so, our schools are co-located with like minded host partners in nonprofit hubs, affordable housing complexes, education institutions and employer campuses.
Through this approach we have achieved results that would, at least on paper, otherwise be unlikely—nearly all of our littles leaving SproutFive kindergarten ready, when the same is true for only 40% of their peers across Franklin county.
As we enter into the beginning of our next century of care and education, we are proud to focus our attention on expanding and sharing in the success of our model and approach. Our goals are ambitious, but with the team at hand and support of individuals like yourself we believe they are possible. However, what exactly does this mean?
It means we will be adding new schools, with an ambitious goal to serve over 700 littles by 2025. It means we will be training both pre-service and in-service teachers to keep them engaged, interested, and advancing in their careers. It means we will be working to provide meals that are even healthier, fresher, and more nutritious for our littles. It means we will be advancing innovation and policy within the sector. Most importantly, it means we will be truly reimagining early education.
I am excited for the road ahead for SproutFive, to see how this century-old organization blooms, if you will. It is my sincere hope that you join us in our “next.”
For a successful beginning, and beyond,
Kathleen Husted
Director of Growth and Vision