THE BETTER WAY FOUNDATION
The Better Way Foundation, located in Minnetonka, Minnesota, has partnered with the UD School Readiness Collaborative in Old North Dayton. The foundation supports Catholic University - Community partnerships. One of their priority areas is early childhood education/school readiness.
The UD School Readiness Collaborative in Old North Dayton received a planning grant in 2010, and were subsequently awarded a 2 year grant (2011-2012) around goals to improve school readiness in the community. The goals are:
Project Goals:
Goal 1: To improve the quality of early childhood early care and education (pre k & k) in the Old North Dayton neighborhood (Old North Dayton).
Goal 2: To increase the level of dialogue, collaboration and respect among /between pre-kindergarten and kindergarten educators, including parents, in the Old North Dayton Neighborhood.
Goal 3: To maximize opportunities to involve parents of pre-kindergarten and kindergarten age children in the Old North Dayton neighborhood in their child’s education and learning and preparation for kindergarten.
Goal 4: To create a model, seamless, transition process to move children from pre-kindergarten care and educational environments into kindergarten in the Old North Dayton neighborhood which can then be shared with other urban Catholic schools and neighborhood communities.
Since our initial planning year, we have expanded to the surrounding Catholic partners - Mary Queen of Peace and the Miami Valley Family Care Center (Catholic Social Services Early Childhood Center) and the Dayton Public School Neighborhood School Centers.
The UD School Readiness Collaborative in Old North Dayton received a planning grant in 2010, and were subsequently awarded a 2 year grant (2011-2012) around goals to improve school readiness in the community. The goals are:
Project Goals:
Goal 1: To improve the quality of early childhood early care and education (pre k & k) in the Old North Dayton neighborhood (Old North Dayton).
Goal 2: To increase the level of dialogue, collaboration and respect among /between pre-kindergarten and kindergarten educators, including parents, in the Old North Dayton Neighborhood.
Goal 3: To maximize opportunities to involve parents of pre-kindergarten and kindergarten age children in the Old North Dayton neighborhood in their child’s education and learning and preparation for kindergarten.
Goal 4: To create a model, seamless, transition process to move children from pre-kindergarten care and educational environments into kindergarten in the Old North Dayton neighborhood which can then be shared with other urban Catholic schools and neighborhood communities.
Since our initial planning year, we have expanded to the surrounding Catholic partners - Mary Queen of Peace and the Miami Valley Family Care Center (Catholic Social Services Early Childhood Center) and the Dayton Public School Neighborhood School Centers.
The UD School Readiness Collaborative in Old North Dayton operates within the University of Dayton School of Education and Allied Professions
The University of Dayton School of Education and Allied Professions (UD-SOEAP) is a local, regional and national educational leader in the area of early childhood education and education for public, Catholic and urban educators. The University continues to grow and expand to meet the needs of current and future students, with a solid financial base, and an expanded campus enabling greater development of graduate programs and research and development projects. The SOEAP successfully completed the NCATE Accreditation process in 2009-10, and will continue to provide high quality undergraduate and graduate education to prepare future educational leaders while striving to address the needs and challenges facing urban and Catholic schools. The University and the SOEAP provide well established leadership in the community, with commitment to the existing projects, specifically the Neighborhood School Centers project, the Urban Teacher Academy, the Lalanne Program, The Kroc Education Center, the Urban Child Development Resource Center, and the Bombeck Family Learning Center. The SOEAP will continue to model best practices in teacher preparation in early learning through the Bombeck Family Learning Center and involvement with the broader early childhood educational community. The SOEAP provides the administrative home for the Better Way Project and the UD coordinating team oversees the day to day operation of the project, coordinates the development of project activities and integrates the contribution of the partners to meet project goals.
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