Fonds MAK - Milo Alphabets Kindergarten Society fonds

The Milo Alphabets Kindergarten Society is a private Early Childhood Services (ECS) operator that was established in 1981. Average annual enrollment is 10 children, who come from the Village of Milo and surrounding area. There is generally a single teacher, and sometimes a part-time volunteer or aid, who run a full-day, twice-weekly program. Special events include field trips to various locations in and around Milo, as well as out-of-town trips to civil services like the hospital and RCMP detachment. Some years the students have also visited the Tyrell Museum of Paleontology, the Calgary Zoo, or the Calgary Planetarium. They stage an annual concert for their parents, and regularly entertain the seniors at the Snake Valley Drop-In Centre.

Enrollment has fluctuated over the years, ranging from 4 to 11. The Kindergarten has always been eligible for Small Centre Assistance grants, and some additional funding has been received when First Nations students are enrolled, but the Kindergarten has often had to rely on fundraising to remain in good financial stead. For several years the volunteer Executive organized a community Dinner Theatre, which raised an average of 10% of the annual operating budget. Milo Alphabets Kindergarten later applied for and was granted a license to participate in the provincial Casino program, and that has been their main fundraiser through 2015.