Future Ready Five

10/13/2026

Look at all this progress. 👏🏾 Our educators are putting in the work to grow their knowledge, strengthen their practice, and earn their CDA credentials.

Congratulations to these educators who completed a CDA course this year:

Asma Hassanee — Little Incredibles
Nautica Kunkel — Child’s Play Learning Academy
Rana Mamlouk — Atonement Lutheran Preschool
RaTeesha Rhinehart — Mommy and Me
Heeseon Seo — Atonement Lutheran Preschool

And an extra round of applause for these educators who have completed all of their CDA coursework:

Hodan Ali — Little Incredibles
Stefany Bravo-Renteria — My Little World Academy
Damaris Alverez — My Little World Academy
Kevin Gonzalez Brito — My Little World Academy
Bertha Osorio — Little Incredibles

Every course completed is another step in strengthening early childhood education for children and families across our community. ❤️ Show these educators some love and help us cheer them on as they keep moving forward!

10/09/2026

A little friendly competition under the blacklights. ⛳️✨

The faces behind Future Ready Five spent some time together playing mini golf and building the kind of team connection that carries into everything we do. We’re so proud of the people behind the work, and the energy, care, and commitment they bring to FR5 every day.

10/08/2026

We’re kicking off another year of learning, growing, and getting little learners ready for kindergarten. 💛 Recently, more than 110 Kindergarten Readiness Collaborative (KRC) educators from Years 1, 2, and 3 came together to learn, connect, and strengthen the support they provide to Columbus-area preschoolers.

That’s 110+ educators showing up for young children and investing in their success before they ever walk through the doors of kindergarten.

Help us show them some love! ❤️ Drop a like or love on this post to let our KRC educators know we’re cheering them on for another impactful year.

10/07/2026

We’re always down for a good block party, especially when the weather is perfect and the DJ has everybody up and moving. ☀️🎶

Future Ready Five was thrilled to be part of the All of Us Block Party hosted by State Representative Dontavius Jarrells. FR5 RISE Director Brittany Jackson spent the day connecting with community partners, meeting families, and talking with parents of young children about our work.

Thanks to everyone who stopped by to say hello!

10/06/2026

During , we’re celebrating a partner helping make early learning opportunities possible: AT&T

AT&T’s support of Future Ready Five strengthens our work to help young children build the early digital literacy skills they need before they ever walk through a kindergarten classroom door. Through its investment in our mission, AT&T is helping families access digital resources, learning opportunities, and tools that encourage reading, language development, and learning at home.

We’re grateful to AT&T for recognizing that technology, literacy and access can work together to create stronger starts for children and brighter futures for families. Thank you, AT&T, for investing in early learners and helping Future Ready Five build a community where every child has the opportunity to arrive at kindergarten ready to thrive.

09/29/2026

On the heels of celebrating last week, Future Ready Five CEO Mario Basora spent some time reflecting on her commitment to early literacy and what it can teach us about the importance of starting early. 🔠

His takeaway: the first five years don’t just prepare a child for kindergarten. They help shape what comes next.

Read Mario’s latest Reflections from the CEO: https://bit.ly/4e49dTH

Long before Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library became an international early literacy effort, it started with something deeply personal. Parton created the program in honor of her father, Robert Lee Parton, who never had the opportunity to learn to read or write. She has often described him as one...

09/25/2026

💗 Today is , and if there’s one thing Dolly knew, it was the power of helping young children fall in love with learning. Here in Franklin County, that same belief comes to life every day through incredible early childhood educators.

So, on 9/25, we’re celebrating 5 of the MANY people helping children build the skills, confidence, and foundation they need to succeed before kindergarten:

✨ Mikalah | Milton’s Messengers
✨ Vicky | Little Miracles
✨ Kierra | God’s Kidz South
✨ Diane | YMCA Whitehall
✨ Taresa | God’s Kidz South

These five educators joined us at a Future Ready Five professional development workshop this month, but they represent a much bigger community of teachers and child care professionals doing this important work every single day.

Because getting every child ready for kindergarten takes all of us. And we think Dolly would agree: dream big, start early. 💕📚

09/16/2026

🎨 Happy National Play-Doh Day! Did you know a little Play-Doh can build more than creativity? It can help build early literacy skills, too! 💚 Our young volunteer, Sulayman, is showing us how children can roll, shape, and trace Play-Doh to practice forming letters, recognizing shapes, and strengthening the fine-motor skills they’ll use for writing. ✏️🔤

▶️ Check out our reel to see Sulayman in action, then grab some Play-Doh and give it a try at home. Learning through play is serious fun. 🌟

09/15/2026

Future Ready Five was proud to join Humana Healthy Horizons and other community partners for the WGF Community Baby Shower, celebrating moms-to-be and families with young children.

It was a joy to connect with families, share early childhood literacy resources, and support little learners from the very beginning. Strong starts matter, and we are grateful to be part of a community that shows up for children and families in meaningful ways.

09/11/2026

Today, on the 25th anniversary of September 11, we remember the lives lost, the families forever changed and the extraordinary ways people have chosen to turn grief into purpose. One of those stories is the Adam J. Lewis Academy in Bridgeport, Connecticut.

Adam Lewis, a husband and father of four who was killed in the World Trade Center attacks, knew firsthand the power of educational opportunity. Growing up in the Bronx, an educational opportunity changed the trajectory of his life and shaped his belief that a strong foundation could open doors for every child. 📚

Years later, his wife, Patty, saw young children full of potential who simply had not yet been given the foundational skills they needed to succeed in school. She and fellow educator Julie Mombello decided to do something about it. What began as a preschool serving 12 children has grown into the Adam J. Lewis Academy, now serving nearly 200 students from pre-K through eighth grade. ❤️

That story resonates deeply with us at Future Ready Five.

Our work is rooted in the same fundamental belief: where a child begins should not determine how far that child can go. The years before kindergarten matter enormously, and every child deserves access to the experiences, instruction and support that give them a strong start. 🌱

On a day devoted to remembrance, the Adam J. Lewis Academy is also a powerful reminder of what legacy can look like. It can be found in classrooms. In teachers. In opportunity. And in generations of children whose futures are brighter because someone believed in what was possible for them. We are honored to share their story today. ✨

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CBS Weekend News producer Caroline Lewis shares the story of her mo...