FOR IMMEDIATE
RELEASE Contact:
Susan Schoolfield
May 1, 2012 Balcom
Agency (817)
877-9933
LENA
POPE ADVANCES MISSION WITH NEW EARLY LEARNING CENTER
Center will open in Fall 2012
FORT WORTH, Texas – This
fall, Lena Pope Home will open an Early Learning Center to provide all-day care
and learning for up to 48 children, ages 2-1/2 to 5 years old. Students will
benefit from the evidenced-based curriculum, low student-to-teacher ratio of
8:1, and certified teachers with degrees.
Located near Interstate
30 and Hulen Street (4812 Diaz Ave., Fort Worth, Texas 76107), the Early
Learning Center will open in an existing building on the main campus of Lena
Pope Home, and will be open 6:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. The
weekly rate will be competitive and childcare subsidies will be accepted for
qualifying families.
“The Early Learning Center is Lena
Pope’s first educational program for preschool-aged children, but it’s the next
natural step in continuing our mission of helping create hope, happiness and
success for children and families,” said Todd Landry, Lena Pope executive
director.
The Early Learning Center will pursue accreditation from the National Association
for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC)* and/or the National Accreditation Commission, and
will follow their required standards — student-to-teacher ratio, teacher
education and training, and curriculum — from day one. The goal for
Lena Pope is to offer the first early learning center that has national accreditation and accepts
childcare subsidies within the 76107, 76109, 76110, 76114, and 76116 zip codes
surrounding its campus.
(more)
LENA POPE ADVANCES
MISSION WITH NEW EARLY LEARNING CENTER 2-2-2
“When we considered how we wanted to grow at Lena Pope, research
identified the great need for quality early childhood learning in our area and
showed the long-term impact it can have in our community,” Landry said.
According to the Texas Education Agency or TEA (http://www.tea.state.tx.us/), children who attend a quality
pre-kindergarten program are better prepared for kindergarten, have better
reading and writing skills, and have better social skills, behavior and conduct
in and out of the classroom. Studies have shown that early childhood intervention
promotes savings to the individual, and eventually to the community in many
ways, by creating:
·
Better school retention
·
Improved quality of the workforce
·
More productive schools
·
Strengthened social attachment
·
Reduced crime, teenage pregnancy and welfare dependency
·
Increased lifetime earnings
“The Early Learning
Center continues the mission of our founder – Lena Pope – to give children
the best possible foundation and support for future success,” explained Don
Cosby, board president for Lena Pope Home. “The board fully supports this
initiative as we help meet the demand for high-quality, accredited early
learning – especially among lower-income, higher-risk populations.”
The Lena Pope Early Learning Center
will offer an evidence-based curriculum incorporating best practices for teaching
children of this age. The curriculum was chosen because research shows children
develop and learn best when early learning is based on the individual strengths
and needs of that child. Teacher recruitment will begin in May, following the
hiring of the Center’s director. Renovations to the Early Learning Center
building are scheduled to be complete in June, for parents to tour the
facilities prior to opening. For more information, families may call (817) 255-2562
or visit www.LenaPopeEarlyLearning.org.
(more)
LENA POPE HOME
ADVANCES MISSION WITH NEW EARLY LEARNING CENTER 3-3-3
Since its founding more than 80
years ago, Lena Pope Home has evolved from its origin as an orphanage to
today’s focus on counseling and education for children and families. Chapel
Hill Academy, a
TEA-accredited charter school for children pre-kindergarten through fifth grade,
located at 4640 Sycamore School Road in southwest Fort Worth, was Lena Pope
Home’s first endeavor into primary education. Additionally, Lena Pope’s collaboration
with the Tarrant County Juvenile Justice Alternative Education Program serves
older students with severe academic, social and/or behavioral problems in
traditional classroom settings. Learn more at www.LenaPopeHome.org.
# # #
*According
to the National
Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), its national, voluntary
accreditation system has set professional standards for early childhood education
programs since
1985, and helped families
identify high-quality programs for their young children. Based in Washington, D.C., NAEYC (http://www.naeyc.org/) addresses the
daily quality of children’s education through its accreditation program. Programs
must meet 10 established standards focused on: advancement of children’s
learning and development; the qualifications, knowledge, and professional
commitment of teaching staff; relevant partnerships established with both
families and the community; and the physical environment and leadership and
management provided by the program administration.
