'They're ready to go': Say Yes Buffalo debuts Little Scholars for 3-year-olds of families in need

Mar. 31—A cluster of 3-year-olds noshed on French toast and sipped from milk cartons Friday morning at West Hertel Elementary School, distracted and curious about the commotion of cameras, adults in suits and belly laughs coming from outside their classroom door.

Their space was bright and welcoming, dotted with play areas, colorful charts and an eye-catching mural created by Buffalo artists Edreys and Alexa Wajed.

Moments earlier, Say Yes Buffalo, Buffalo Public Schools and Erie County officials assembled for a ribbon-cutting to celebrate the start of Say Yes Buffalo's Little Scholars, a preschool program for 3-year-olds that intends to break down barriers parents face, reduce opportunity gaps for families and help children acclimate to a classroom long before kindergarten.

David Rust, CEO of Say Yes Buffalo, credited Gellenia Smallwood, the nonprofit's senior director of early childhood, and Will Keresztes, chief of administration, public affairs and planning with Buffalo Public Schools, for leading the four-year development of the program.

Little Scholars kicked off this month with pilot classes at West Hertel and Dr. Charles R. Drew Science Magnet School. At least four more Buffalo schools plan to introduce the program this fall.

Beyond the immediate celebration of a new program lies a research-backed pathway for children, explained Rust, whose organization touches everything from scholarships to workforce preparedness to mental health supports and Saturday academies, all designed to blaze a trail toward future success.

He pointed to data that reveal better outcomes for children — from reading success in elementary school to high school performance and admission to college — who begin their educational paths in their preschool years.

"This is workforce, starting at 3 years old," Rust said.

Smallwood described it a "cradle to career and beyond" strategy.

The program is intended for families who qualify for an Erie County Department of Social Services Day Care Subsidy, according to Say Yes Buffalo's website, sayyesbuffalo.org/earlychildhood/syls, which links to an eligibility screener for prospective parents.

A 2014 study by the National Institute for Early Education Research shows preschool is even more valuable for students from low-income families, many of whom have been traditionally priced-out of such programs.

Limiting entry to those in greater need is part of Say Yes' purpose of breaking barriers, said Smallwood, who wiped away tears of joy during an interview.

"It's emotional because these are real families that have real-life experiences happening — and this is one thing they don't have to worry about," she said.

From her experiences as a single mother and an employee at a childhood center, Smallwood said she witnessed the financial hurdles and also how Buffalo's breadth of family structures might mean a greater need for access and opportunity, citing foster families, refugees and households where grandparents serve as primary guardians.

The Little Scholars mission is school readiness. Think potty training, adjusting to a big building, and developing fundamental social and emotional skills.

"Those first days where you're crying because you don't want to let mom and dad go — we're addressing that right early on," Smallwood said.

Madeline Little, a Say Yes employee who has handled communication for the Little Scholars program, said each of the inaugural classes features 14 students and three teachers. To understand the program for her marketing and social media pursuits, Little spent time in the West Hertel classroom and marveled at the impact on children during last than a month.

"They may not be able to spell or write," she said, "but they can tell what's going on."

She added that slivers of the children's personalities shine through, and they begin to try to express how they feel.

Classroom activities mimic those of typical kindergarten, with morning songs, naptime and meals complementing hands-on, play-based learning. A science lesson might see students peer from binoculars for a closer look at snow, while a foray into careers might mean dressing up like a firefighter or police officer.

A pathway has been established for students who complete the Little Scholars year. They are offered a six-week "Prep for Pre-K" summer program through Say Yes and are automatically enrolled in the Universal Prekindergarten Program at their school. The students would have already met their prekindergarten teacher as part of the Little Scholars experience. Familiarity with Say Yes will expose them to several supports as they get older, too.

Smallwood said the connectivity should "relieve stress and angst" for parents who might be worried their kids will not be prepared for school.

"They're not starting prekindergarten behind the ball," she said. "They're ready to go."

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