Ginger Young, CEO
Dear Partners and Friends of The Center,
We are off and running on another year of fun and adventure! As we continue to grow in our new space, we are continually looking for ways to make an even greater impact on our children, families and the community.
In this pursuit, this year we opened another transition room. When a child with a developmental delay turns 3, they move from the early intervention system to special education preschool. With this milestone birthday, a child may need to move to their local school district or may no longer qualify for services. When their birthday falls in the middle of the year, it can be quite a disruptive change. Because we are uniquely positioned as both an early intervention and preschool provider, we are able to offer children who will turn 3 during the year a consistent classroom experience by creating these transition rooms.
This year also brings a focus on Trauma Informed Care (TIC) training for all staff. Many of the TIC principles and practices are already a part of The Center’s approach, but we wanted to ensure staff were fully equipped to provide the best possible care for any child experiencing adverse experiences. Intervening early with a child who has experienced trauma is just as critical as it is for a child with a suspected delay, and we are proud to ensure these best practices are a part of the lenses with which we approach every child and family.
Likewise we are proud to be a part of the Ohio’s Striving Readers Comprehensive Literacy Grant which aims to bolster literacy in children birth through high school. As a Center we are evaluating the literacy components of our approach and program staff are being trained on best practices for literacy in early childhood education.
It is a busy year for our staff but, as usual, they are tackling the challenge head on as they are committed to helping every child have the best possible start in life. I am incredibly proud of them and am looking forward to how these learnings will further impact our children and families!
Finally, I am thrilled to share with you the Wonder School, an exciting new partnership between The Center, Columbus Museum of Art and Columbus State Community College. The first partnership of its kind in the nation, Wonder School is a laboratory preschool that fosters curiosity and discovery in an arts-rich, child-centered, responsive learning ecosystem benefiting both children and the next generation of early childhood educators. The alignment of both philosophy and commitment to early childhood education best practices made this a natural fit. Wonder School leases space at The Center as a part-time location for the school while also coming under The Center’s 5-star Step Up to Quality rating and licensing. Through this sustainable partnership, more children now have access to high-quality early childhood education. The pilot year is off to a great start and we look forward to further collaboration and sharing learnings!
It’s an exciting time at The Childhood League Center! Thank you for being a part of it and for believing in the importance of this work and the impact it makes in our community. ll
Gratefully,
Ginger Young
CEO of The Childhood League Center
Save the date for a Monte Carlo themed evening sure to delight and entertain!
SATURDAY, MAY 11, 2019
6:00pm
Archie Griffin Ballroom in the Ohio Union at The Ohio State University
Stop Hoping. Start Believing.
