The newest community program of WAMS is Play Group Plus, a pre-Kindergarten program primarily for three- and four-year-olds in the Main South area of Worcester. Started in spring 2022, PGP is a collaboration between WAMS and Worcester Family Partnership, a state-funded program run under the umbrella of the Worcester Public Schools, that provides free play groups for families in Worcester. PGP does that and more.
Not all children have the opportunity to experience early childhood education, and many come from homes in which English isn’t the primary language. PGP was created because a local elementary school Principal suggested it would help children entering Kindergarten, and their teachers, if the new students had some classroom experience and some basic pre-K learning. The emphasis is on socialization, but added to that are useful abilities like basic counting, recognizing their own printed names, and listening skills. Adult group leaders include both English and Spanish speakers.
These are groups for children and their parents/caregivers, because they help the grownups gain skills in doing activities with their kids. If there are younger brothers and sisters, they are welcome, too. Grab-and-go lunches are provided for everyone, and each family gets a $10 supermarket gift card. Every child leaves the session with a new book to take home.
Groups are held at the Main South CDC, 875 Main Street in Worcester, on Thursdays from 9:45 to 11:30.
Anyone interested should contact Vanessa Ramos, WAMS Director of Programs. It helps to know how many lunches we will need.
The creation of Play Group Plus was made possible by a grant from the Massachusetts Women’s Home Missionary Union.
This playgroup is a collaborative effort of WAMS, Worcester Family Partnership, and Main South CDC. Worcester Family Partnership is a Coordinated Family and Community Engagement grant from the MA Department of Early Education and Care to the Worcester Public Schools
