How Waterford Upstart Works
Be confident that your child is ready for kindergarten! They’ll learn the basic skills they need to be successful in school, at no cost to you!
What You Can Expect
Registration
Training
Use At-Home
Kindergarten Readiness
Register Your Child
With our easy online form, you simply fill out your information as we guide you through the steps, and then we let you know if you’re qualified! If you’re accepted, we’ll contact you with information on what comes next, as well as provide useful resources and activities for you and your child until they start Waterford Upstart!
Training
If accepted, you and your child will meet with us in-person at a local event, so you can learn everything you need to know to be successful with Waterford Upstart! Plus, your child will take a short assessment, so we know where they’re starting and can show how your efforts lead to improvements over the months.
Use At-Home
Waterford Upstart is an online program, so you’ll need a computer and Internet to access the software, which you may qualify for if you don’t already have them in your home. We do what we can to ensure every child has access to Waterford Upstart regardless of your personal situation. We’ll come to you and make sure you and your child are ready and set to go.
Kindergarten Ready
That’s all it takes for your child to be successful with Waterford Upstart. Because we are providing participating families with a no-cost scholarship, we do ask that you meet these usage requirements to get the most out of Waterford Upstart. Don’t worry. We’ll check in with you and coach you to make sure everything is going smoothly. And at the end of the program, your family will be invited to a graduation to celebrate your child’s success! And then, hello kindergarten success!
No Cost to Participating Families
It’s true.
There’s no cost to families who are accepted. We offer every family a full scholarship, which is funded by generous sponsors, partners, grants, or local governments who want to see your child succeed.
While the Waterford Upstart project is typically ¼ the cost of other early education options, there is a cost associated with delivering access to this vital resource at no cost to families. The most under-resourced children, those for whom we can do the most good, typically don’t have a computer or the internet, and typically live well below the poverty line. We rely on individual, business, state, and philanthropic support to fund scholarships for these children, allowing them to have dramatically different futures. Join us in helping all children have the academic success they deserve.
Provides Access
While most traditional PreK programs require transportation of some kind, Waterford Upstart is done in the comfort of your home and on your schedule. Waterford.org also provides a computer and Internet at no cost to qualifying families who need basic technology, so every child can participate.
Parent Engagement & Empowerment
Parents with little or no experience with early education often feel lost as to how to best help their children prepare for school. Waterford Upstart supports families every step of the way and gives parents tools to empower them as their child’s first educator.
Encourages a Lifelong Love of Learning
At Waterford.org, we believe that when learning is its own reward, children stay motivated to learn and feel empowered through their personal discovery of knowledge. When children have the skills to learn for themselves, the sky is the limit. Children are naturally curious, and we say, keep exploring!
Academic Gains that Last
Studies show that children who complete Waterford Upstart retain the significant gains they make before entering school as far as the fourth grade, keeping your child at the head of the class long after graduation!
Changing Lives in Unexpected Places
Waterford Upstart not only works for urban and rural families who grew up in the United States, but also for numerous refugee families who have found a life in our country. Meet Apiel Kuot and Suman Rai, refugees from South Sudan and Bhutan, respectively. Listen to them tell their own stories of how Waterford Upstart not only prepared their children for school, but also supported them as they learned English and gained access to technology for the first time.
See What Parents Have to Say
Be confident that your child is ready for kindergarten!