MCC PTA EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS INC

Programs

1. Foreign Language in Elementary School (FLES): The FLES program has served approximately 2000 K to 6 students per year since 1954. Current offerings include French, Mandarin Chinese, Spanish, and Spanish Literacy for Spanish Speakers. This is a sequential, immersion-based program; our instructors are native speakers who offer cultural notes and serve as role models to students in our diverse county. Children gain confidence in hearing and speaking a new language as well as cultural awareness. The Spanish Literacy program provides instruction in reading and writing Spanish for students who speak Spanish at home. Research consistently demonstrates that early foreign language learning increases cognitive development and is an important component of achieving fluency in a foreign language. Research also shows that literacy in one's native language is instrumental in acquiring English language literacy. Over the course of the 2024-2025 school year, FLES served 1195 students. 474 of the 1195 students received financial assistance in the form of a full or partial scholarship to the program.

   $234,166 spentof which $16,690 as grants$221,263 earned by the program
   45% of program spending

2. Science Pre-K and elementary program: MCCPTA EPI has been a recognized leader in informal science education for decades. Our after school enrichment modules each explore a science topic through visuals, demonstrations, and hands-on activities. Children form hypotheses, conduct experiments, record data, and re-examine their hypotheses through the scientific method. Participants in our program gain a broader sense of what science encompasses and are more likely to envision themselves as potential scientists at the end of the session than at the beginning. In 2024-2025, 1181 elementary students were served as well as 91 pre-K students. Of the 1181 elementary students, 491 received full or partial need-based scholarships and all the pre-K students received partial scholarships.

   $172,848 spentof which $23,059 as grants$191,914 earned by the program
   33% of program spending

3. Science and Engineering Middle School program (S&E MS). Gadget Factory, It's Electric, Take Flight, Handicrafts and Lego Robotics are offered at middle schools in Montgomery County's Excel Beyond the Bell program. Gadget Factory and It's Electric are at the forefront of the movement to engage middle school students, expose them to STEM careers, and build the skills and resilience necessary for the 21st century. In the 2024 to 2025 school year, Big Learning served approximately 300 grade 6 to 8 through Excel Beyond the Bell.

   $106,315 spent$106,315 earned by the program
   21% of program spending

4. Cultural Arts Showcases and Catalog are a service provided to county schools and PTAs. They provide information about a wide range of performers who are available to book to provide assemblies, workshops, and artists in residence at individual schools which enrich the curriculum and student experience.

   $3,799 spent$1,160 earned by the program
   1% of program spending

The 4 programs described on its FY2024 Form 990, listed largest first by expense. Program spending in total: $517,128.