Starting kindergarten is one of the biggest transitions in a young child's life, and families shouldn't have to figure it out alone.
Ready for Kindergarten LIVE is a free, one-hour virtual event hosted by SC First Steps, designed to help parents, caregivers, and anyone who works with young children feel informed and prepared for the big day. This year's event features a panel of three experts who bring different but equally important perspectives on what it means for a child to be truly ready for school:
Dr. Aprel Barnes, Pediatric Medical Director at Cooperative Health, on health, development, and what to take care of before school starts.
Anna Brannin, Youth Services Consultant for the SC State Library, on early literacy, building a love of reading, and free resources available in your community.
Kelli Overcash, Principal of Kershaw Elementary School and SC Elementary Principal of the Year, on what schools are looking for, how to prepare your child for day one, and what to do if you have concerns.
There will be time for your questions, and you'll walk away with clear, doable steps to help your child start kindergarten with confidence.
This event is free, virtual, and open to everyone: parents, grandparents, preschool teachers, child care providers, pediatricians, social workers, and anyone else who cares about getting kids off to a great start.
Anna Brannin
Dr. Aprel Barnes
Kelli Overcash
Yes, Ready for Kindergarten LIVE is a free, annual event for families, educators, and advocates of rising kindergartners. This virtual event features expert insights and practical resources to help ensure a smooth transition into kindergarten.
Yes, you’ll need to fill out our registration form to gain access to the event. Please fill in the registration form with some basic information to get started.
The information provided at registration will establish you as a user on the platform to create your login credentials and to receive continuing education credit. It will not be used for any other purposes.
Yes, the vFairs platform is compatible with any computer or mobile device and any browser.
The event will be on demand for a week on the vFairs platform; however, updates and changes to the platform are made periodically and the availability of this feature may change. Please note that continuing education credit is only awarded for attendance of the LIVE sessions.
Ready for Kindergarten LIVE is supported by the Preschool Development Grant Birth-Five HHS-2024-ACF-ECD-TP-0055 from the Office of Early Childhood Development within the Administration for Children and Families, a division of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Neither the Administration for Children and Families nor any of its components operate, control, are responsible for, or necessarily endorse this event (including, without limitation, its content, technical infrastructure, and policies, and any services or tools provided). The opinions, findings, conclusions, and recommendations expressed are those of South Carolina First Steps and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Administration for Children and Families and the Office of Early Childhood Development.
