Johnstown, PA (Jan. 23, 2015) – Pennsylvania is not meeting its marks in providing families access to preschool education, according to the Quality Counts 2015 study performed by Education Weekly magazine. The magazine gave the state a D+ grade, or 67.1 out of 100 percent.
The state is lacking in several areas: only 47.5 percent of eligible 3- and 4-year-olds attend preschool. Impoverished families have a harder time finding preschool, as the gap between poor and non-poor children attending preschool has increased by 5.3 points in just five years.
The first step to bridging this gap is offering more low-income families financial assistance. The Learning Lamp works with local businesses and charitable organizations such as the United Way of the Laurel Highlands and the United Way of Bedford County to funnel money into its tuition assistance fund to offer an affordable preschool option to all families.
“The importance of preschool is proven time and time again,” said Erica Ponczek, early learning director at The Learning Lamp. “A recent fiscal study shows that for every dollar spent on preschool, there is a $17 return in the amount of savings and benefits to the state.”
The Learning Lamp will host open registration days at each of its five preschool locations. Dates and locations are as follows:
For more information on preschool at The Learning Lamp, please visit thelearninglamp.org or call Erica at 814-262-0732.
The Learning Lamp is a nonprofit organization with a mission to engage all children in the support they need to succeed. We deliver high quality programs that are affordable and accessible to families of all income levels. The Learning Lamp served 18,468 children from 70 school districts and 36 non-public and private schools and other organizations in 32 Pennsylvania counties in 2013.
Our programs include: one-to-one tutoring; before/after school programs; portable classrooms aimed at building math and science skills; alternative education programs for at-risk students; evidence-based prevention programs; online learning and credit recovery; SAT preparation; educationally-focused child care; literacy-based preschool programs; and grant writing and project consulting for schools.
@thelearninglamp:Ready to make a positive impact in the classroom? Ignite Education Solutions is hiring a part-time Substitute Personal Care Aide to work in the Greater Johnstown Area School District. Benefits include training and development opportunities and more! When school is off, you're off! Candidates must have a high school diploma and the ability to pass clearances. Apply online today at http://tiny.cc/4v3avz
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