Home Instruction for Parents of Preschool Youngsters (HIPPY), a program of COA Youth and Family Centers, is a parent involvement, school-readiness program that helps parents prepare their two-, three-, and four-year old children for success in school and beyond. Peer mentors provide parents with a set of carefully developed curriculum including books and materials designed to strengthen their children’s cognitive skills, early literacy skills, and social/emotional and physical development.HIPPY empowers parents as primary educators of their children in the home and fosters parent involvement in school and community life. Parents and children read, play, and learn together every day in their homes and at monthly HIPPY Family Gathering Nights. NCJW-MKE wants to provide each HIPPY child with books and access to activities encouraging parent involvement. See volunteer dates below for ways to volunteer at family gathering nights!
Be a Volunteer for Family Gathering Nights
At monthly Family Gathering Nights, NCJW volunteers help children ages 2-5 (and their parents and siblings) with art and science projects, games, and other activities, serve dinner, read to children, etc. It is truly a fun and rewarding volunteer opportunity every second Monday from 5-7pm during the school year, at COA’s Riverwest Center, 909 E Garfield Avenue.
The final regular Family Gathering Night in 2025 is on Monday, April 14, 2025.
The Special Year-End Family Gathering Night will be on Monday, May 5, and it is an Outdoor Carnival to celebrate the end of the year — All hands welcome to join us and help the families have a great night!!
Graduation will follow on Saturday, May 17. More info on the Graduation Celebration to come
For information and to RSVP contact Margie Margolies (margie@margolies.com)
NCJW Volunteers also help with planning, program evaluation, publicity, fundraising, field trips, graduation, staff appreciation dinners, anniversary celebrations, winter wear and book drives, and other aspects of HIPPY. To support our annual book drive or the HIPPY Family Day Field Trips, click one of the links above.