First Place SPP 2025 graduate receives their certificate demonstrating kindergarten readiness.

During the 2024-2025 school year, 27 Seattle Preschool Program (SPP) partners across 97 sites and 149 classrooms delivered the high-quality and award-winning Seattle Preschool Program to 2,321 of SPP’s 3- and 4-year-olds. Over 1,275 SPP participants graduated in June, marking their completion of preschool and readiness to transition to kindergarten. The Seattle Preschool Program helps prepare Seattle three and four-year-olds for kindergarten in partnership with community-based organizations, Family Child Care (FCC) providers, and Seattle Public Schools.  

SPP graduates continue to demonstrate strong outcomes in kindergarten readiness. As shown in the recent Washington Kindergarten Inventory of Developing Skills (WaKIDS) results, 74% of 2023-24 Seattle Public School kindergarteners met crucial benchmarks of social emotional, cognitive, literacy, language, physical and mathematics skills, the highest since data collection began in 2015. The 2022 Education Northwest SPP Evaluation found that Black, Asian, and English Language Learners were more likely to meet kindergartner readiness goals if they had participated in SPP.   

SPP is funded by the 2018 Families, Education, Preschool, and Promise (FEPP) Levy which aims to achieve educational equity, close opportunity gaps, and build a better economic future for Seattle students. In July, Seattle’s Department of Education and Early Learning (DEEL) received national recognition for its Seattle Preschool Program by the National League of Cities (NLC) for expanding access to high-quality early learning opportunities. 

Parents can learn more about SPP sites and how to begin the application process at seattle.gov/applySPP. SPP applications are available at seattle.gov/applySPP in English, Amharic, Chinese, Oromo, Somali, Spanish, Tigrinya, and Vietnamese. Families who need language assistance to complete the application process can contact DEEL at 206-386-1050 or email preschool@seattle.gov. 

Join us in celebrating recent SPP graduates by reading about three celebrations convened by John Muir Elementary, First Place, and Refugee Women’s Alliance. 

At John Muir Elementary, the graduation theme was “Watch Us Bloom” as families watched their little graduates sing for the crowd. One by one about a dozen SPP graduates walked on stage to share what they want to be when they grow up before receiving their certificate of completion. One SPP parent shared how financial assistance impacted their household and how SPP supported their child’s growth: “SPP helped my child prepare for kindergarten. He’s more social and learned a lot. SPP tuition assistance helped us as single income household with two children.”  

At First Place three SPP classrooms honored 14 graduates ready for kindergarten. Donning their tiny red cap and gowns, the 4-year-olds were presented with a certificate of completion by SPP teachers and First Place Director Carolyn Brown. The three-year-olds were also celebrated, wearing blue gowns as they head to their final preschool year. The joyous event included solving math equations by preschoolers, counting to 100, and dancing. The grand finale featured all students singing “Education is Our Brain Power” to proud parents and teachers in the crowd. 

Seattle Preschool Program partner Refugee Women’s Alliance (ReWA) hosted its end of year celebration in Northgate at the Kraken IcePlex. The fun filled event included ice skating by ReWA teachers, hockey demonstration by little ones, and martial arts and multicultural dance performances from SPP students and teachers. ReWA offers SPP at its Beacon Hill, Lake City, and South Seattle locations. ReWA Senior Director of Education Susan Lee along with the help of lion dancers and Seattle Kraken’s mascot Buoy amped up families in the bleachers. DEEL Director Dr. Dwane Chappelle was a keynote speaker, celebrating the work ReWA has done for empowering Seattle’s youngest learners. In September 2025 ReWA will be opening two new early learning centers in North and South Seattle serving children aged birth to 5-years-old. 

The SPP celebration continued at individual ReWA early learning centers, including the Lake City location. Dual Language SPP lead teacher Addisalem Ergete and staff hosted families with a food potluck and performances by SPP graduates in English and Amharic. Ergete showed her appreciation for each student handing them their preschool certificate of completion and heartfelt thank you’s to parents accompanied by a single red rose. Just a day after, Ergete was also celebrated by the Center for Linguistic and Cultural Democracy, for earning her Soy Bilingüe Accreditation which will support expanding dual language SPP programming this fall.