TrainingGrounds is appreciative for the opportunity to share with you the importance 和 underlying social need for more focused attention in the Early Childhood Sector. 在新奥尔良,缺乏针对父母的免费教育项目, 护理人员, 以及42%生活在美国人口普查宣布的贫困率以下的儿童的早期儿童教育工作者. 除了, 提供给3岁以下儿童的优质早教儿童座位数量有限. TrainingGrounds has worked during the past year within the New Orleans l和scape using research 和 proven techniques to take an unique approach to changing the trajectory of our youngest children.
Educational research has consistently proven that there is a strong correlation between the quality of early childhood experiences 和 later academic success. (Louisiana Birth to Five Early Learning 和 Developmental St和ard (ELDS)) The problem is the lack of effective parent education programs which are targeted at decreasing the rates of child abuse 和 neglect 和 improving physical, cognitive 和 emotional development in children. 国家父母教育网络(NPEN)将父母教育的目标描述为“通过提供相关的知识来加强家庭”, 有效的教育、支持和鼓励为父母/照料者和儿童的健康成长和发展创造最佳环境.”
(http://www.childwelfare.gov / pubPDFs父子关系.pdf)
All 父母 in New Orleans have a right to see their children develop cognitively, 在社交和情感上,这样他们就为学习和全面成功的生活做好了准备. 然而, 少数族裔和低收入父母缺乏容易获得的项目来了解儿童的发展, best parenting practices 和 early brain development all of which will greatly improve a parent’s ability to lay a solid foundation for their child’s development. 各种非营利机构, 社区行动小组和城市援助计划旨在解决我们城市的贫困问题. 然而, 父母, 护理人员 和 early childhood 教育工作者 continue to require significant assistance with developing effective strategies to create quality learning experiences for children.
除了, 在新奥尔良,有超过3500名婴幼儿在排队等待提前座位. This is unacceptable when research indicates that quality early learning experiences can produce important long-term improvements in the intellectual 和 social development of disadvantaged children. If these children are not offered an alternative they will end up in the 60% of American children who enter kindergarten every year unprepared 和 lacking the 语言, 在学校内外取得成功所必需的计算能力和社会情感技能.
The urgency stems from knowing 80% of a child’s brain is development by age 3. Dr. 赫克曼, 美国经济学家, 建议没有资源,如“家长辅导”和幼儿教育计划, many at-risk children miss the development growth that is the foundation of success. 他们将在余生中受苦,而我们所有人都将为此付出更高的社会成本和不断下降的经济财富.
According New Orleans Early Education Network, “ The K-12 school system in New Orleans transformed in the post-Hurricane Katrina era, 和 made many impressive strides in student outcomes. 然而, 高质量教育体系缺少一个关键要素:幼儿教育。” .
In Addition, New Orleans 和 that State of Louisiana face some challenging statistics:
The organization received its 501(c)(3) determination letter in April of 2017.
使命: 协助家庭, 教育工作者, 和 communities in strengthening the foundation on which children can succeed.
愿景: All children have the solid foundation needed for future success.
TrainingGrounds公司. 帮助父母, 护理人员 和 professionals with providing children with rich learning experiences, 积极的成人-儿童互动和社会情感技能将有助于在学校和以后的成功. We use the following three approaches:
影响:
* We PlAY Center目前每周开放3天,每天开放2小时,并继续提供节目
吸引新的家庭.
支持:
TrainingGrounds participated in three competitive venture startup programs. 螺旋桨,4.0 Schools 和 Camelback Ventures each provided one-on-one weekly mentorship, access to high-level networks 和 investors, 无偿技术支持, 还有免费的办公空间. We received financial support in the amount of $10,000 和 $40,000 from 4.0 Schools 和 Camelback Ventures respectively. 2017年秋季, 训练场地为他们的We PLAY中心赢得了Pitch 诺拉教育比赛,并获得了5500美元的奖金. 我们已经获得了GPOA基金会和心理卫生研究所2018年的资助. The Corpus Christi Community Resource Center continues to demonstrate support for our initiative by donating the use of space for our We Play Center as well as our Parent Learning Opportunity workshops. 也, 使用我们免费We PLAY中心的家庭通过捐赠金钱和茶点来表达他们的支持.
Collaborative Organizations:
科珀斯克里斯蒂社区中心为我们的We PLAY中心和家长学习机会课程提供免费空间. 2017年秋季 we co-hosted with Propeller Incubator a Race 和 Equity in Early Childhood convening to bring awareness of the challenges facing New Orleans. We have conducted professional development workshops for Kingsley House, 社区行动, Hoffman Early Learning Center, Families in Need of Services, Primary Colors Learning Centers, 和 professional organizations.
我们的团队
Melanie Richardson, MSW, LMSW
Melanie Richardson是土生土长的新奥尔良人,在心理健康和成人教育领域工作了20多年. 她在圣母大学获得本科学位,在宾夕法尼亚大学获得社会工作硕士学位. Since returning to New Orleans, Melanie has served in the role of director of a psychiatric residential treatment facility for adolescents 和 program director for a community based mental health rehabilitation facility, securing Joint Commission 和 COA Accreditations respectively.
As the start-up operations director for both agencies, 梅兰妮帮助把想法变成成果,并在为社区提供急需的服务方面发挥了重要作用. Her years of working with students, 父母 和 community members in a variety of settings has afforded her valuable insight 和 underst和ing into the types of services that will allow communities 和 constituents to flourish. Melanie is married 和 has one teenage son.
克里斯汀·尼利,m.s.Ed
Christine Neely has been in the field 的教育 for over 20 years 和 has always worked to improve st和ards 和 provide resources to families 和 students. Christine已经花了超过15年的时间担任小学pk -3年级的班主任,同时与行政部门密切合作,指导新教师, develop curriculum 和 make the switch to Common Core. 克里斯汀已经
presented at national conferences 和 conducted workshops about literacy development, 教育实践, Brain Architecture 和 Mind in The Making Seven Essential Skills. She is an active member of P.E.O International which promotes educational opportunities for women worldwide. She has been married for over 21 years 和 has two teenage boys.
梅兰妮和克里斯汀都在广泛的主题上获得了路易斯安那路径认证,并且都通过了班级观察培训.
我们的董事会为教育和商业社区提供了熟练的技能组合.
雪莱储料器
董事会主席
School Talent Grant Director
新奥尔良新学校
米歇尔Frentzos
财务主管
业务经理
路易斯安那儿童博物馆
Dr. 布丽姬特雷伊
秘书
Child Development Consultant
洛杉矶部门. 的教育
The advisory board is composed of an Attorney, 注册会计师, School Psychologist 和 the former 董事会主席man of Brooklyn Kindergarten Society. These additional members have offered consultation, 反馈, 和 recommendations 和 are full supporters 和 champions of TrainingGrounds.
关闭
TrainingGrounds将自己定位为对新奥尔良的早期儿童结果产生深远影响. We look forward to continued dialog on ways in which we can work together to strengthen the birth to five pipeline: a critical element in the continued improvement of New Orlean’s educational system.
To gain further insight into our company, please visit our website www.mytraininggrounds.org 或者访问我们的网站 脸谱网. 你亦可透过以下连结,观看媒体对We PLAY中心的最新报导: Pitch诺拉教育奖得主, MyStartupStory:TrainingGrounds, TrainingGrounds: Taking A St和 Against Violence 和 诺拉.玩和学.
真诚地,
Melanie Richardson, MSW, LMSW
TrainingGrounds公司
Co-Founder 和 Executive Director
melanie@mytraininggrounds.org
504.408.0506