Kinder Launch provides an inclusive, engaging community where children and caretakers can prepare for kindergarten together.
By working with leading researchers, local families, and teachers, we identified the most important skills for children entering kindergarten — and focused our program on the social-emotional development that helps them thrive.
Kinder Launch™ is a Please Touch Museum® program supported by the U.S. Department of Education. Research support is provided by the Vanguard Strong Start for Kids Program™ and The William Penn Foundation.
The Kinder Launch approach
Our methodology draws on extensive research into what development is most helpful for children preparing for kindergarten.
Informed by industry experts
Kinder Launch has been pilot-tested and independently evaluated by Dr. Maleka Donaldson (Ed.D., Ed.M., A.B., Harvard University), an educational consultant and Assistant Professor of Education and Child Study at Smith College.
Donaldson’s work appears in several peer-reviewed journals, and she recently published a sole-authored book, “From Oops to Aha: Portraits of Learning From Mistakes in Kindergarten.”
Additionally, Philadelphia-based research organization Research for Action is currently conducting a research study of former Kinder Launch participants in their formalized school settings.
Kinder Launch is helmed by Alyssa Liles-Amponsah (M.Ed., Harvard University; MA, Indiana University Bloomington), Senior Director of Community Programs and Inclusion at Please Touch Museum.
Educational expert Dr. Maleka Donaldson tested and evaluated the Kinder Launch curriculum.