El Busesito Preschool
Delivering high-quality, bilingual preschool to the neighborhoods that need it most
Our fleet of four “Little Buses” travels to neighborhoods to provide bilingual preschool education to over 80 children who would otherwise have limited access to preschool. Equipped with a strong foundation of social-emotional learning, 40-55 students arrive at kindergarten each year ready to learn alongside their peers. Parents are engaged as partners in their child’s education through volunteering, home visits, and Family Nights.
Mobile buses remove the barrier of transportation and provide flexibility to adjust to changing community needs.
Why a bus?
When Valley Settlement community organizers first interviewed families in 2011 and 2012, they found that fewer than 1% of preschool-age children among families they spoke with were enrolled in preschool. Transportation was cited as a common barrier.
The ‘busesitos’ travel to neighborhoods to deliver high-quality preschool classes. Each class has 8 children and 2 bilingual lead teachers. Busesito Preschools and teachers are licensed by the State of Colorado. By bringing school to neighborhoods, the buses eliminate the transportation barrier, providing free preschool to those who need it most.
Engaging Parents as Partners
El Busesito Preschool engages parents as partners in their children’s education. Parents are expected to volunteer, attend family nights, and participate in one home visit a semester. Learn more about the importance of 2Gen Programming.
Demonstrated Impact
Children’s progress is measured using the Bracken School Readiness Assessment and Teaching Strategies GOLD. Each year, Busesito students show growth in their language, cognitive, and social-emotional development. Parents benefit from the program, too, frequently reporting that they are more involved in their children’s education. See El Busesito Preschool outcomes below.
For Parents
Program Year Calendar
El Busesito Preschool’s program year calendar is closely aligned with local school districts to ensure the first and last days of school and all the breaks in between match up, making it easier for parents to manage the schedules of little ones and big ones in school at the same time.
Program Policy & Procedures
We maintain a comprehensive manual of our policies and procedures for the Busesito Preschool program, available in English and Spanish. Parents of enrolled students are required to confirm they have read the manual before the first day of school.
BACK TO PROGRAMS | LEARNING WITH LOVE | EL BUSESITO PRESCHOOL | PARENT MENTOR | LIFELONG LEARNING | FAMILY, FRIENDS & NEIGHBORS | ALMA
KEY PARTNERS
Mountain Family Health Centers
Providing health care for medically underserved families
Colorado Mountain College
Partnering to advance education among adults
Frontiers of Innovation
Building scalable programs
CU Boulder - CREST Lab
Investigating a peer-delivered behavioral health program