Early Childhood Education
The Early Childhood program at Operation Breakthrough has achieved and maintained national accreditation since 2005 from the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). It provides hands-on-learning experiences, supportive teacher interactions and language-rich environments for 404 children between the ages of 6 weeks to 5 years of age. Developmentally appropriate programming in our 31 classrooms, MakerSpace and SmartLab is guided by Head Start with the goal of preparing children for success in school. The Early Childhood program operates weekdays from 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. to enable parents to work full time and support their families. Schedule an appointment to fill out an application with the Mid-America Regional Council (MARC) to determine eligibility in Early Head Start or Head Start Services. Call 816-841-3382 or send an email to marcheadstart@marc.org.
School-Age
Operation Breakthrough provides a before/after school enrichment programming for 300 children, grades Kindergarten through 8th grade. In our Summer Enrichment Program, children will have 7-1/2 hours of instruction (8 - 3:30) which includes reading, writing, science, STEM, art, music, and PE. Through our talent exploration program, children get the chance to develop their talents in special interest areas such as tennis, computers, dance, choir, soccer and art.
SmartLab
Operation Breakthrough is home to a SmartLab for our preschool children. The SmartLab features fully integrated systems of hardware, software, furnishings, online curriculum, educational kits, manipulatives and assessment tools. This allows students to engage with a wide range of activities like robotics, electronics or even graphic arts.
MakerSpace
Operation Breakthrough's MakerSpace promotes personalized learning through the use of real materials to tinker, problem solve, collaborate and create. Over 280 children have the opportunity to engage with the MakerSpace's six different zones each week. The six zones include textiles, construction/toy hacking, studio arts, chef's corner, the green screen and code world/robotics. These areas provide a creative outlet as well as opportunities to practice problem solving.
Outdoor Classroom
The Outdoor Classroom was developed to connect our urban core children to the natural world. Classroom areas include flower and vegetable gardens, a wind area, composting space, a small orchard of fruit bearing trees, and a dramatc play area. There is also a mark making shed that hourses creative materials and gardening tools that enhance their exploration. There are opportunities for children of all ages to harvest fruits and vegetables, explore animal and insect life, observe the elements and experience the outdoors.
