Primary Project is a school-based, early intervention and prevention effort to help children who show early school adjustment problems that could interfere with learning.  It is based on a best practice model developed by the Children’s Institute of Rochester in New York, and is a project of the Wilder Foundation’s Child Guidance Clinic.

Wilder has implemented Primary Project in two elementary schools in Saint Paul, Minnesota – Dayton’s Bluff Achievement Plus Elementary School and John A. Johnson Achievement Plus Elementary School, Paul and Sheila Wellstone Elementary and World Cultures Magnet School serving children in preschool through third grade. Children whose behaviors or learning skills place them at risk for school problems are eligible to be served.

The goals of Primary Project are to:

1. Help children get a good start in school by fostering a healthy self-image and useful social skills.
2. Prevent the need for more specialized help at a later date.
3. Identify individual needs early, leading to an education program beneficial to each child.
4. Improve children’s school adjustment and performance.