A shorter version of the Voluntary Pre-Kindergarten program will be offered this summer for students entering kindergarten in the fall.

Head Start Program Coordinator Tiffany Franklin said one of the requirements for participating in the VPK program is offering it both during the school year and the summer. There is a requirement of 300 hours for students to complete the program.

“Typically, the kids that attend the summer program have not attended the school year program. It’s a little more intensive in instruction because of less time,” she said.

The classes are held from June 10 through July 29 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. at the Early Childhood Learning Center, at 3650 Michigan Ave., Fort Myers.

The School District of Lee County has had decent participation with four classrooms and 48 children taking advantage of the summer program in the past. The classes are taught by certified teachers.

“We are only limited by the number of people we have signed up. For example, we do more hiring if we have more students. We hope we will be able to get more kids enrolling,” Franklin said.

The school district offers transportation to and from the center for the majority of the children. She said it does not matter where the student lives in the district.

The school day kicks off with the teachers and students in a greeting circle where they go over such topics as what to expect for the day, how their night was and introducing themselves to the other students. There is a family-style breakfast that the students participate in where teachers encourage conversations following the circle time.

From there instructional activities take place, as well as going outside to play. Franklin said most of their day is based around instruction — explicit instruction to hone on certain skills. The skills are learning letters, numbers, colors, shapes and positional words to help students with reading.

At the end of the day there is a recap of what the students have learned and what to expect the following day before they either take the bus home or their parents pick them up.

To participate in the summer VPK program, students must be 5 years old by Sept. 1 and be registered for kindergarten for the 2024-25 school year.

“Once they meet all the requirements, they go to the coalition to get the voucher extended to them,” she said, adding that if the voucher was used anytime during the school year, they will not be able to take advantage of the summer funding for the program.

The voucher can be obtained online at www.elcofswfl.org or by making an appointment to go in person to the Early Learning Coalition of Southwest Florida, at 2675 Winkler Ave., Fort Myers.

To register, families need to bring their voucher, receipt of enrollment in kindergarten, child’s birth certificate and proof of address to the Early Learning Coalition Childhood Center.

The preference is for families to let them know by the end of May if they plan to participate in the program, so they can prepare for the right number of students.

Franklin said the VPK summer program is important because it is the last chance for students to have kindergarten readiness. They hear feedback from many kindergarten teachers, as well as school administration, that there is a big difference in students who have attended the program verses those who do not. She said the program provides the students with social and emotional skills, as well as number and letter fundamentals.

“If a child is not used to sitting for a longer period of time, or (receive) explicit instruction, it is hard for kindergarten teachers to teach that in advance,” Franklin said.

For more information, call Lori Jacobson at 239-332-2512.