Host Prime Time Preschool
Humanities Washington is currently offering $25,000 (and more) for libraries, schools, and museums to produce Prime Time Preschool programs! Learn more about how to bring Prime Time to your community.
How Prime Time Preschool Works
- Understanding Prime Time Preschool
The program serves children from three- to five-years old and their families. Meeting for 90-minute weekly sessions for six weeks in the evenings, families share meals and engage in reading, discussion, and play-centered learning activities. The program creates a rich, humanities-based learning environment and promotes family engagement and school readiness through development of reading, comprehension, and critical thinking skills. Using beautifully illustrated, award-winning books with culturally diverse stories and themes, trained facilitators model reading, discussion, and interactive play-based learning activities for young children and their caregivers, encouraging meaningful at-home reading sessions for families.
- Bringing Prime Time Preschool to My Community
Libraries, museums, schools, and other eligible youth-serving organizations can apply to Humanities Washington for full funding and support. The program can be delivered in English or a bilingual (Spanish/English) format. Discussion leaders use big ideas in children’s literature to start each group discussion, but each discussion is unique and reflects each community served.
Find out more below at the Apply section or contact us with any questions.
- Meeting the Needs of My Community
Prime Time Preschool can be easily adapted to meet the needs of your community. The program can be delivered in a variety of appropriate settings within youth-serving organizations.
Curricula are available in English-only or Spanish/English bilingual formats. Proven program methods are in place to successfully serve multi-lingual communities, bridging both generational and cultural gaps.
Culturally appropriate meals can be selected by team members to ensure the program will be welcoming to families.
If you have any concerns or questions about how Prime Time might fit within your community, please contact our Prime Time team.
Roles
- Humanities Washington's Role
Humanities Washington provides all approved partners with funding for program books, healthy weekly meals, interactive learning center supplies, and team member stipends. Humanities Washington also supplies team member training, form templates, publicity kits, program management materials, detailed timelines, sample budgets, and access to experienced Humanities Washington staff. All partners receive direct support and guidance from a dedicated project manager from application through program completion and final reporting.
- The Prime Time Host’s Role
Eligible youth-serving organizations apply to Humanities Washington for funding. If approved, hosts partner with other youth-serving organizations and identify students who would benefit from participation in Prime Time Preschool. Hosts then reserve suitable rooms, recruit team members, connect with Humanities Washington staff to arrange team member training, arrange catering and/or gift cards, and facilitate delivery of the program — from initializing community partnerships to submitting final reports and budgets.
Prime Time Preschool hosts:
- Identify and recruit 20 or more students and their families in order to serve between 10 and 15 families each week of the program.
- Allocate staff time to support the program.
- Communicate the benefits of program participation to students and their families.
- Prime Time Team Members
Each Prime Time series is delivered by three or four team members, each integral to the program in important ways:
- Program Coordinator oversees the logistics and success of the program. This role is often filled by a librarian or program professional at the host organization, and who is often the person who applies to Humanities Washington to fund Prime Time programs.
- Community Organizer (optional), a school or other youth-serving organization employee, recruits 20 or more families, supports the program coordinator, translates if necessary, and contacts families each week to maintain steady attendance.
- Two Preschool Facilitators guide participants to think beyond shallow considerations of who, what, when, and where, promoting critical thinking, reasoning, and questioning skills. Prime Time Preschool Facilitators demonstrate how literature can enrich participants’ lives, model strategies for continued family bonding through literature, and provide families critical information on resources for continued reading once a Prime Time program ends.
Application Resources
Apply
Humanities Washington is now accepting applications from eligible organizations for financial support to hold Prime Time Preschool programs and Prime Time Family Reading programs between now and the fall of 2024.
The funding cycle for fall 2023 program support has ended.
Applications are due December 1, 2023 for spring 2024 program support.
Applications are due May 30, 2024 for fall 2024 program support.
What hosts receive:
- $8,300 to support each Prime Time Preschool series
- Team member training
- Access to curriculum materials
- Access to experienced Humanities Washington staff
All Washington State public libraries, elementary schools, museums, family resource centers, and other youth-serving organizations are eligible to apply and submit multiple applications.
The next team member training workshop is being planned now for fall 2023. Contact us for more information.
View a list of Prime Time partners
View a one-sheet about Prime Time
Prime Time Family Reading Time was developed by the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities. Prime Time is made possible with support from the National Endowment for the Humanities, The State of Washington via the Office of the Secretary of State, The Washington State Library, The Discuren Charitable Foundation, The Fordham Street Foundation, The Bamford Foundation, The BNSF Railway Foundation, The Norman Raab Foundation, D.V. and Ida McEachern Charitable Trust, The Stocker Foundation, The Helen Martha Schiff Foundation, The Allison Foundation, and other businesses, foundations, and individuals.
Contact Us
For more information about Prime Time, please contact our Prime Time Team at primetime@humanities.org, or 206-682-1770 ext. 104.