HIPPY’s Mission:
HIPPY (Home Instruction for Parents of Preschool Youngsters), an internationally recognized bilingual literacy and school-readiness program, empowers parents as their child’s first teacher. HIPPY’s mission is to help parents prepare their children for success in school and beyond. The model supports parents as their children’s first teacher by providing them the tools, skills, and confidence to teach their young children in the home.
About HIPPY:
HIPPY is a developmentally appropriate, early literacy curriculum designed to promote children’s cognitive, social, emotional and physical development. The curriculum consists of a set of easy-to-use educational activity packets and storybooks developed for parents of children ages 2-4. Parents engage with the curriculum by role playing the parent-child activities with a trained home visitor or Parent Partner.
Curriculum includes lessons in: Literacy, language, math, science, motor activities.
HIPPY’S Impact:
COA’s HIPPY Program was a Lifesaver for Teresa’s Family
“As parents, we can all use a little help,” said Teresa, “with HIPPY, there’s always someone who’s got your back!”
How one program builds families through in-home education
“This gives them the tools to advocate for their children and to create a better connection with them.”
HIPPY Events:
Field Trips:
Home visits aren’t the only time children have opportunities to learn through play! Throughout the year, families have opportunities to participate in field trips across Milwaukee! Past field trips have included visits to the Urban Ecology Center, local parks, the Betty Brinn Children’s Museum, and more.
Monthly Family Gathering Nights:
Every month, HIPPY families come together for a fun night of food, games, and great company. These themed family events connect HIPPY families to one another and to the larger community by providing learning activities for the whole family and by bringing in local organizations to share community resources.
HIPPY Graduation:
Each year, we celebrate the accomplishments of HIPPY participants for completing a successful year of programming! All four-year-olds and their caregivers receive special recognition for completing the program with a memorable graduation ceremony. Children graduating from the HIPPY program leave ready to take on pre-school with all the lessons they learned from HIPPY.
Summer Programming:
HIPPY’s, “Fun in the Sun” consists of ten weeks of engaging family events at four Milwaukee parks: Moody, Kadish, Hartung, and Resike. Summer programming reinforces key lessons from the program year and includes outdoor group story time, book raffles, snacks, and fun learning activities for the whole family!
COA’s HIPPY program is made possible by the generous support of NCJW-Milwaukee, PNC, Johnson Controls and United Way of Greater Milwaukee & Waukesha County.
