$95,000 GRANT AWARDED TO THE MOBILE WATERFORD ENGLISH COMPETENCY PROGRAM at the Women’s Fund Awards Luncheon, May 2nd.

Since 2004, the Women's Fund of Santa Barbara has given more than $2.5 million to 33 nonprofit agencies that benefit thousands of women, children and families within the greater Santa Barbara area. This year, the Santa Barbara Education Foundation received $95,000 for the MOBILE WATERFORD ENGLISH COMPETENCY PROGRAM.


MOBILE WATERFORD is an interactive curriculum bringing English language and reading readiness training to the several hundred Latino four year-olds who would otherwise enter the Santa Barbara elementary schools in the fall of 2010 without adequate English capacity.

• A van that has been up fitted with 8 computer stations containing the Waterford program makes 8 to 10 stops in neighborhood locations and the Storeyteller preschools, serving 64 to 80 children on a daily basis for the entire year prior to entry to kindergarten.


• The Mobile Waterford program provides children with pre-reading activities in English with their parents often learning alongside their child.


• Mobile Waterford has been proven to have great effectiveness in helping Latino preschoolers acquire English and Reading skills.


• Pre-kindergarten testing in the fall of 2010 showed remarkable results - of the 347 children attending a school district preschool, children’s center, Spanish Head Start class, or the Mobile Waterford van, based on data from previous years we would expect 335 of them to enter Kindergarten without competence in basic English. The results of the ADEPT testing showed something completely different - a total of 232 children passed the level I test of basic English competence!!

For van schedule, click here