(From left) Sixpence Program Manager Daina Cepure Sain and Family Advocates Morgan Wiesner and Katie Radcliffe pose for a picture during Sixpence’s open house at Seward Elementary School on Oct. 6.
Seward, Milford and Centennial Public Schools and Blue Valley Community Action are collaborating with Sixpence to bring educational assistance to Seward County.
Sixpence is a program that works with parents and soon-to-be parents to help them become their child’s first teacher, according to one of the organization’s pamphlets.
According to Connie Biaggio, the director of special services of Seward Public Schools, this is the first collaborative Sixpence program in Nebraska.
“It’s going really well,” Biaggio said.
Sixpence is funded by a grant from the Nebraska Children and Families Foundation, and Program Manager Daina Cepure Sain said with this partnership, the three schools in Seward County are not competing for the same grant funds.
“That speaks highly of our county,” Wess Robotham, Executive Director at Southeast Nebraska CASA, said.
Sixpence currently has 12 of its maximum 24 spots filled.
The organization does have some qualifying factors to be accepted. Those who are eligible include:
• Pregnant women, or someone with a child under 18 months old,
• A resident of one of the three school districts,
• Teen parents,
• Families who qualify for the free and reduced lunch program,
• Families with children who are born prematurely or with a low birth rate, and
• Families whose primary language is not English.
Sixpence provides at-home visits for families and holds bi-monthly Play and Learn events, where parents and their children can visit the Sixpence office at Seward Elementary School.
Morgan Wiesner, a family advocate for Sixpence, said the office has an art area, a fine motor play area, a dress-up space, a reading area with child-sized couches and chairs, and infant area, music space with musical instruments and a gathering space where the group will begin and end each Play and Learn with a song.
The Play and Learns provide snacks and time for parents to play, teach and bond with their children.
Sain said Sixpence helps parents understand where their child is and where they are going developmentally.
The organization also provides activities for these stages of development socially, emotionally and in other ways.
“We show how these activities help develop those skills,” Wiesner said.
Even though Sixpence’s office is in Seward, Sain said anyone from Seward County is welcome to join. She said the organization will help the family travel to Seward, and the family advocates make home visits three times a month, or twice if a family attends a Play and Learn.
Robotham said Sixpence helps people understand how important childhood education is.
“Learning really starts day one,” Robotham said.
And those who work for Sixpence see a need for the program to reach out to families who might be interested in the program.
“I live here and I’m invested in this community,” Sain said. “We felt there was a need for that age [group.]”
Sixpence is still recruiting families who would like its services. Those interested can call (402) 643-2968 ext. 216.
