A New Audience for Stamp Collecting

A pilot program for more than 100 preschool students in five Head Start Classrooms in central Pennsylvania has completed its first year. Cheryl Edgcomb, CEO of Stamp Camp USA, and Gretchen Moody, Director of Education for the American Philatelic Society, are the lead developers of the program, which involves a curriculum of 16 lesson plans. This curriculum encourages teachers to use postage stamps as a tool to assist children to achieve and master several national Head Start standards.

Teachers, aids, and supervisors met June 4, 2009, to evaluate the program and debrief. Edgcomb and Moody are using the feedback to fine-tune the lesson plans and to expand the curriculum. They will share program outcomes at the state-wide Head Start conference in State College, PA in October with attendees who are educators and parents. “We hope to publish this curriculum and offer it to Head Start programs across the state and eventually the country,” said Edgcomb.

The program is funded with a $5,000 grant from Dominion Gas Transmission Corporation. John D. Frith, company representative, commented, “Dominion is pleased to support the Stamp Camp USA Program which has developed and expanded such an innovative learning methodology for our youth.”

According to Moody, “Preschool children share our excitement for the interesting images on stamps. By exposing these children and their teachers and parents to stamps, we hope to open the hobby to new audiences.” Both Moody and Edgcomb look forward to another eventful year finalizing the curriculum and expanding the number of classrooms testing the lesson plans.

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