- Who we are
Close Gaps By 5 is a lean nonprofit organization led by Minnesota business and community leaders championing the use of early education to prevent and narrow Minnesota’s worst-in-the-nation achievement gaps. More>
- Why we care
Minnesota’s achievement gaps threaten to leave scores of children unprepared for school and all that follows in life, which poses a grave long-term threat our children, society and economy. More>
- What we do
Close Gaps By 5 works with partners and empowered parents to champion the use of high quality early education programs at very early ages to prevent the most at-risk, low-income children from falling into the achievement gap. More>
Why Early Learning Scholarships?
Currently, 31,000 low-income Minnesota children under five are unable to afford high quality early learning programs, and are at high risk of falling into Minnesota’s worst-in-the-nation achievement gaps. Those 31,000 children must be Minnesota’s top priority.
Early Learning Scholarships target limited state funding to those kids. Scholarships were piloted from 2006-2011 and were expanded statewide, with the support of a bipartisan group of legislators and Governor Mark Dayton.
Scholarships are able to provide help to children early in life, recognizing that the achievement gap begins before age one, and that the most vulnerable children need multiple years of help in order to catch up. Scholarships guarantee that children will be benefitting from kindergarten-readiness best practices. Importantly, they’re flexible, so parents can find programs that fit their work schedule, location and culture.