about beyond the backpack

Beyond the Backpack is a new pro-social initiative from Nickelodeon's Dora the Explorer that champions overall school readiness for preschoolers on their biggest adventure yet--going to school.

Just as Backpack helps Dora prepare for new adventures, Beyond the Backpack provides parents with tools to prepare their children to excel in life's next big adventure: school! Beyond the Backpack lends a hand by providing parents with tips, activities, and resources focusing on four major areas: Cognitive Skills, Social and Emotional Skills, Health and Wellness Basics, and Parent Involvement in Schools.

Learning starts long before the first day of kindergarten. According to Born Learning (www.bornlearning.org), part of United Way Worldwide's public engagement campaign focused on helping communities improve school readiness for young children, children start learning at birth. Children who get off to a good start by or before kindergarten tend to maintain that advantage as they progress through school. Still, research shows that too many kindergartners in the U.S. are lacking in at least one area of development.

Research from United Way Worldwide shows that nearly half of today's children are not adequately prepared when it's time to start kindergarten. In fact, more than one-third of American children begin kindergarten without the basic language skills they will need to learn to read. Children who can't read by third grade are unlikely to graduate high school, yet sadly, 67 percent of all fourth graders can't read at grade level.

Ongoing studies also confirm that children's readiness for school is multi-faceted. The National Head Start Association believes that children need to learn a range of skills including language development, literacy, mathematics, science, creative arts, social and emotional development, and physical health and development. Educational achievement gaps often already exist by the start of kindergarten, and the larger the gap at school entry is, the harder it is to close. That's why the earliest experiences and environments set the stage for future development in school and life.

The multi-year initiative engages parents, educators, and the community at large in the four areas critical to school success: 1) social and emotional intelligence, 2) early literacy and math skills, 3) parent involvement in schools, 4) health and wellness basics. Beyond the Backpack includes dedicated celebrity-endorsed public service announcements, community outreach, and a website with an online Kindergarten Readiness Quiz and printable checklist, customized school readiness plans and skill-building activities, resources for parents and educators, and links to partner organizations. The quiz and checklist were created by educators and developmental experts in consultation with the Beyond the Backpack Advisory Committee.

Dora's Beyond the Backpack is a part of The Big Help, Nickelodeon's campaign to engage kids to take action and make a difference in their world. The campaign focuses on four key concerns important to kids today: the environment, education, health and wellness and community. Throughout 2010, The Big Help Grants Program will award $1M in grants to schools and community organizations, enabling kids around the country to achieve the goal of 1 million acts of help. To learn more, visit www.TheBigHelp.com.