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Help Upriver Discovery School

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I need YOUR help to bring licensed high-quality early learning and child care to the small rural communities of Rockport, Marblemount, Newhalem, and Diablo in the upper Skagit River Valley of Washington State (upriver).

Our upriver communities are booming with the joyful squeals of children exploring the wild world around them. Yet we have zero licensed child care providers to support these young children and families. By definition, we live in a child care desert. 

As a parent, I know what it feels like to live in a rural community with inadequate access to child care. Often it means piecing together care between a network of friends or be faced with the difficult decision of leaving the workforce. I want our upriver families to have an alternative option: Upriver Discovery School!

What is Upriver Discovery School?
Upriver Discovery School is a supportive learning environment that nurtures the whole child. A place where young people feel respected, are able to build community, and express their natural passion for exploration and discovery. 

Of course, the physical space of a learning environment is critical to a child’s ability to learn and thrive. I believe the ideal home-base facility for Upriver Discovery School is a detached building on my property needing minor renovations to make it more functional, fun, and engaging for young people. The need for the renovations is the basis for this fundraising campaign. 



Who will be the teacher at Upriver Discovery School?
As a child, Kimber Burrows would take yearbook photos of her stuffed animals, deliver lessons on a chalkboard, and pass out handwritten report cards. Although Kimber’s teaching philosophy has changed since those early days, being an educator and an explorer of the natural world is at the core of who she is. 

Kimber earned a Master of Arts in Science Education from Western Governors University while simultaneously developing outrageously fun lab experiments for her middle school Earth Science students. Over the past 18 years, she has held a range of positions in the field of education including managing outdoor experiential education programs for adults and youth, stepping in for classroom educators as a full-time substitute, supporting students as a paraprofessional, and organizing numerous school science fairs. Most recently, Kimber had the privilege of being the Mountain School Manager for North Cascades Institute - organizing multi-day outdoor education trips for 2,700 5th grade students annually. 

Above all, Kimber’s most important work is being a mother to her two-year-old daughter, Genevieve. Together, they love to play, discover, and create!

Why is high-quality child care so important? 

We love our kids. And it matters where our children spend the bulk of their day while they are out of our care. Numerous long-term studies have shown that children with access to high-quality child care enter school with better language, math, and social skills. This stands to reason when 90% of brain growth occurs between the ages of 0-5 years. In fact, the next time you hear a news report talking about the differences in academic performance between students, think about the role early learning and child care may have played in the lives of those students. Upriver Discovery School believes that all children, even those living in rural communities, deserve equal opportunity to reach their full potential.

Are there enough young people to warrant a licensed child care facility?
Yes! There are approximately 50 children living upriver that may need access to licensed high-quality child care in the years to come.

Who will Upriver Discovery School serve?
The primary audience for Upriver Discovery School is young people ages 0-5 years, however, the school is being designed with all ages in mind. I want school-age children (and their families) to feel just as welcome as toddlers and infants. 

Upriver Discovery School will start out by caring for 6 children at any given time in accordance with state licensing. This means that more than 6 children/families may be served depending on the days and hours of care needed.

I don’t need child care. Why should I support Upriver Discovery School?
Schools are the heart of any community. They make communities strong and vibrant. Decades of research on school success confirms that the educational attainment of a child begins at birth, persists throughout development, and has lifelong consequences. As an educator, I firmly believe that equitable access to quality early learning for our children is critical in addressing the disparate outcomes in academic achievement within communities. In other words, the health and well-being of our children reflects the health and well-being of us all!

When does Upriver Discovery School need the funds and what will they be used for?
Renovations of the child care space have already begun so immediate support would be greatly appreciated. Funds collected from this campaign will be applied directly to renovation costs, as well as to educational materials and supplies for children. Photos will be posted to share the progress. 

Contributions to this campaign can also be made offline. Feel free to contact Kimber directly. 

I live near Marblemount. How can I get involved in the Upriver Discovery School project?

Wonderful! Yes, please join me in creating this incredible resource for families. Drop me an email at [email redacted] so we may put your unique strengths and skills to work.

 
Thank you for helping me create a safe, loving, fun space for upriver children.  Anyone who makes a contribution to this campaign, no matter the amount, will be added to the Upriver Discovery School donor wall, acknowledging you as a founding community member.

Please feel empowered to share this need for support. 

With endless gratitude, 

Kimber

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Donations 

  • Gary Bazydlo
    • $100
    • 5 yrs
  • Anonymous
    • $400 (Offline)
    • 5 yrs
  • Members of Citipoint Church of Marblemount
    • $653 (Offline)
    • 5 yrs
  • The Burrows Family
    • $225 (Offline)
    • 5 yrs
  • Rockport Sangha
    • $100 (Offline)
    • 5 yrs
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Organizer

Kimber Shephard Burrows
Organizer
Marblemount, WA

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