Dallas College recently issued the following announcement.
Dallas College today announced a 10-year lease agreement with the Bezos Academy to open a tuition-free, Montessori-inspired preschool at its Cedar Valley and Mountain View campuses in Fall 2022. These are the first preschools Bezos Academy has announced outside of Washington state.
The project came to fruition following consultation with multiple civic agencies and community organizations in Dallas. It builds on early childhood education work made possible by the Dallas College Foundation, The Commit Partnership, Dallas ISD, NAEYC, Early Matters Dallas, PNC Bank Foundation, the Meadows Foundation, the Moody Foundation and many others.
“The need for Bezos Academies in North Texas is significant,” said Dallas College Chancellor Joe May. “Nearly one in 10 children in America live in Texas, and one in four children in Texas live in North Texas. For most of these children, both parents are in the workforce. The demand for more high-quality early childhood education must be met, and it’s a big reason why we are so grateful to partner with the Bezos vision in the form of brick-and-mortar schools that will eventually serve countless families in Dallas County.”
Dallas College Cedar Valley Campus, located in Lancaster, will host a new Bezos Academy preschool.
As part of the agreement, the Bezos Academy will cover operating expenses for the preschool programs at no cost to the families being served, while providing everything that the children need during the day, including meals.
“Young learners and their families need access to effective and highly trained early childhood professionals who have a strong understanding of child development and teaching strategies,” said Mike George, president of Bezos Academy. "Dallas College, with its strong commitment to serving the community though education, is an ideal next partner through which we can offer year-round programming, five days a week, for children from low-income families, using a schedule that is beneficial for children’s learning and growth, while also making it easier for working parents."
Representing the first expansion into Texas, the Bezos Academy preschools will be located at the Dallas College Cedar Valley Campus at 3030 N. Dallas Ave., Lancaster, and the Dallas College Mountain View Campus at 4849 W. Illinois Ave., Dallas. The schools will follow a full-day, year-round schedule and will be slated to open multiple classrooms in Fall 2022, following renovations that Bezos Academy will make to the buildings.
Dallas College Mountain View Campus in Oak Cliff will also host a new Bezos Academy preschool.
“The Bezos Academy and the Dallas College School of Education have intersecting missions that place early child development and education at the forefront of where we are headed as a nation,” said Dr. Robert DeHaas, vice provost of the Dallas College School of Education. “Much like Mr. Bezos, who has charted a path in space exploration while investing in the minds of future generations through education, Dallas College leaders have embraced the need for students and families to access early childhood education — which is critical to strengthening the future workforce of our region and our nation.”
Families earning up to 400% of the federal poverty level with children aged 3 or 4 may apply. Admissions preference is given to foster children and children experiencing homelessness. More information, specific criteria and an application to the lottery-based selection process will be posted at bezosacademy.org once the school opening date is set.
Original source can be found here.
Alerts Sign-up