On July 24th, Bold Goals Education joined with the Alabama School Readiness Alliance to celebrate the First Class Pre-K classroom installation at Joshua Learning Tree in Tarrant. It was the culmination of a year-long process that resulted in the awarding of a grant that equips and designates Joshua Learning Tree as one of the region’s premier childcare centers for early learning. Click here to watch video of this exciting event!
First Class Pre-K experts from the Alabama Department of Early Childhood Education were on hand to set up the classroom furniture and learning tools. In the pre-k classroom, children’s play items are the “raw materials” of learning. The space and materials in First Class Pre-K are carefully chosen and arranged to appeal to children and promote developmentally appropriate learning.
The Early Learning Action Network of Bold Goals worked hand-in-hand with Joshua Learning Tree to help navigate the First Class Pre-K application process and meet the rigorous quality standards that are part of the program. Key partners in this effort included Childcare Resources, Alabama Public Television, United Way’s Success By 6, and the UAB School of Public Health.
The new classroom at Joshua Learning Tree Academy was made possible by the $13-million expansion of First Class Pre-K approved by the Alabama legislature earlier this year, and by the federal Preschool Development Grant that Alabama has received to complement the state’s expansion efforts. Click here to learn more about pre-k expansion and the Alabama School Readiness Alliance’s advocacy efforts.