MONTE VISTA — The HIPPY program is in full swing. Parents and their children, ages 3-4 years old, are encouraged to enroll in this school readiness program. HIPPY stands for Home Instruction for Parents of Preschool Youngsters and is a free 30-week program.

Home visitors of the HIPPY program, come into the home either virtually or in person and bring a weekly curriculum for children to engage in with their parents.

The program specializes in fine motor, gross motor, social-emotional, science, creative arts, and literacy development.

The curriculum helps children learn colors, shapes, letters, numbers, days of the week, and provides hands-on activities that help with other developmental facets.

Because reading is a core part of the curriculum too, each enrolled child receives a new book to keep, every three to four weeks in the program.

HIPPY also provides school supplies for children, including a pencil box, glue, scissors, pencils, erasers and crayons. The supplies are offered for free all year, to children that are enrolled in the program.

The HIPPY program also brings families together with family nights and gives children an end-of-the-year graduation from the program.

The HIPPY program strives to serve diverse communities and is available in Rio Grande, Alamosa, Costilla and Conejos counties.

HIPPY also provides all agencies of the program with both English and Spanish resources to serve everyone in the community.

For more information or to enroll, contact HIPPY Coordinator Beverly Martinez Trujillo at 719-298-1572or Director Ruth Horn at 719-589-4977. The HIPPY Program is located at the San Luis Valley Area Health Education Center, 300 Ross Ave., in Alamosa.