Educare California at Silicon Valley celebrated a new era of early learning opportunities for children in California during the new school’s ribbon-cutting ceremony held today. Students, parents, community members, partner organizations and early education champions at the local, state and national levels noted the innovative new school’s impact on the community’s youngest learners and their families — and on the broader educational landscape for California.
Educare California at Silicon Valley currently serves 168 children ages 0 to 5 (with a future capacity to serve over 200) and their families in a model early learning school. It houses high-quality early learning classrooms, a family resource center, a satellite children’s museum, a career academy for high school students, and a professional development institute that will help reach thousands more children in the region.
Educare California at Silicon Valley joins a coast-to-coast network of 21 effective early childhood schools. Educare makes certain that financially disadvantaged young children have the best opportunity for success in life. Educare’s comprehensive program incorporates what science says young children need to flourish. Rigorous research shows that Educare works: the majority of its students enter kindergarten with the school readiness skills they need to succeed.
Decades of research shows that low-income children frequently start school far behind their higher-income peers, and often fail to catch up. High-quality early childhood experiences have been proven to level the playing field for low-income children and help them succeed in school and in life.
“It’s because of the strong commitment of the public and private partners that we are here today celebrating the opening of Educare California at Silicon Valley,” said Carol Larson, President and CEO of the David and Lucile Packard Foundation. “This Educare school represents the city and county’s steadfast efforts to ensure that our youngest children grow-up healthy, excited about learning, and ready for kindergarten. Along with serving children, Educare will offer professional development to teachers in other early learning programs, bringing quality education to children across the region.”
Educare California at Silicon Valley’s family resource center will support the needs of families in the Santee neighborhood through parenting skills classes and workshops, child development information, referrals to services such as health insurance information, preventive health care, a book lending program, and much more.
The full press release from today’s event can be found here.
