Sometimes being a resident of a small town has non-obvious advantages.
That’s the case right now as any families with a child (or children) who will be entering kindergarten next school year can qualify for a program designed to improve the educational experience that would be much harder to get into if they lived “over the hill.”
The program, funded by the Nevada Division of Welfare and Support Services is called Waterford Upstart. There are three ways to qualify. Earn less than 200% of the federal poverty rate, have foster children or, reside in an area deemed “rural” by the state. Due to its population size, Boulder City is considered rural, which means that any families with a qualifying child can take advantage of the program at no cost.
Children will begin the home-based program on Sept. 3, and complete it May 25, 2025 (a full school year). They can continue using the program through July 27, 2025, if they so choose. Children are typically 4-years-old when they begin the program, (earliest DOB 8/1/2019, latest DOB 7/31/2020).
According to Kim Fischer, executive vice president of marketing and communications for Waterford, the organization was founded more than 40 years ago with the aim of providing targeted learning experiences for children that could be accessed as a complement to classroom instruction.
“A child is only 4 once—this is the time to set them up for success,” Fischer said.
The latest data reveals that many Nevada children are not entering kindergarten prepared. The 2024 KIDS COUNT Data Book shows that 67% of children ages 3 and 4, approximately 50,000 kids, are not in school. Additionally, 73% of Nevada’s fourth-graders are not proficient in reading, and 79% of eighth-graders are not proficient in math.
Waterford Upstart is an online-based program that starts with a short assessment of each child.
“We want to start by figuring out where the child is and what they need to learn,” Fischer said. “Children will use the reading program five days a week for 15 minutes daily. A 15-minute math and science program is optional. We advise parents to do the reading section and then take a break and maybe come back to the math and science later in the day. Reading is the foundation of everything.”
She said that, on average, children who use Waterford the year before kindergarten enter kindergarten at grade level or above.
Fischer reported that the program is fun for children but not “gamified” as many have come to understand that term. “It’s not like a big video game,” she explained. “The secret sauce, is that by getting the parents involved in the process, we are setting the foundation for a successful school experience.”
Multiple studies have shown that the children who succeed in school are most likely to have parents that are engaged in the process.
So far, the program has signed up two children in Boulder City.
“It’s critically important for families to know they have a proven-effective early learning program available through state funding that they can use right at home. This program is new to Nevada, and registration is happening now for children who will begin this fall,” Fischer explained.
“We really are trying to spread the word about this state-funded program so every child has an opportunity to start school prepared and confident.”
Families can get more info and register for the program at Waterford.org/upstart Note that while BC families all qualify, there is a cap of 1218 children statewide.