Posted: Wednesday, November 02, 2016

Last Wednesday, The Providence Center’s Imagine Preschool program held a ribbon cutting for donors and supporters to celebrate three brand-new classrooms that were completed in September. The classrooms are a part of the Rhode Island Department of Education’s Pre-kindergarten Program, which provides free, high-quality pre-kindergarten classes to eligible children through a lottery system.

TPC President Dale Klatzker, PhD., spoke about the importance of quality education at a young age. “The growth and development of a child's brain in the early years support cognitive, social, persistence, attention, self-regulation and executive skills,” said Klatzker. “Imagine Preschool is able to provide high quality, free, inclusive early care and education for preschoolers with and without disabilities, enabling parents and caregivers to work, pursue career goals, maintain family mental health, and achieve life dreams.”

Klatzker also remarked that the classrooms were completed in only three months, thanks in large part to the Center’s Facilities Department.

Mary Ann Snider, Deputy Commissioner of Teaching and Learning at the RI Department of Education, commented on the success of the PreK program, and said that that state plans on expanding it to include 12 additional sites within the next year.

She also related the program to the Raimondo Administration’s goal of raising the state’s percentage of students reading at grade level from 37% to 75%. “Our expectations are high, but they based are what is needed for our kids to be able to do well in the US and around the world,” said Snider.

The event concluded with a tour of the classrooms, led by Imagine’s staff.

Pictured at the ribbon cutting (l-r): Klatzker, Snider, TPC board member Don Barbeau, Blake Laverdier from Electric Boat, Tim Bowen from MetLife and board chair Jim Botvin and his wife Shelley.