Los Niños Primero (“Kids First”) is a year around educational program, featuring a three-week Summer Program, Saturday School and a Chorus for Latino children, aged three to six, who live in Sandy Springs, Georgia. Our Parent Connection Program teaches parents their roles in education, motivation and setting high expectations. An additional community benefit is our Teen Volunteer Program where teens participate in a wide variety of ways, supporting and interacting with the children in the classroom, and through the year around programs. The Mission of Los Niños Primero is to be the cutting-edge program for at-risk Latino preschoolers in Sandy Springs. We offer our children a jump start on pre-academics, bridging the existing education gap. Together with bilingual teachers, trained volunteers, informed parents, and a research-based curriculum, we create a passion for learning. This highly successful program has been serving the needs of Latino preschoolers since 2001.

The three-week Summer Educational Program for at-risk Latino children ages three to six years prepares them for public school. The children are transported by buses to and from the program and are provided developmentally appropriate academic curriculum, English language immersion, music, motor skills, nutritional snacks and lunch, and cultural arts. Through the Parent Connection Program, parents are taught ways they can continue the learning process at home. Saturday School provides monthly academic enrichment for three and four-year-olds during the school year. The under-served three and four-year old children receive pre-academic training and English immersion. Los Niños Primero also serves through Continuemos Chorus for five and six-year-olds. Continuemos Chorus meets weekly October through March in the children’s neighborhood providing music instruction that furthers English language learning, reading skills, music skills, positive social interaction, and self esteem. The Teen Volunteer Program, impacts community through training, cultural exposure, growth opportunities and fostering an environment of service to others, setting the course for a lifetime of being in service.

Los Niños Primero has entered its second decade of high quality, school readiness to Sandy Springs Latino preschoolers and their families. The Program began with 17 children in 2001 and presently serves 136 students. We screen for dental, speech and language disorders, and provide referrals for free services through Fulton County Schools. By growing our Saturday School and Continuemos Chorus, we are expanding our year around programs which increasingly impact the Latino families, the schools and, most importantly, the students.