PIC Head Start learners Grow Up Great with Science!

The Private Industry Council of Westmoreland/Fayette, Inc., Head Start/Early Head Start, is pleased to announce in collaboration with California University of Pennsylvania, the Pittsburgh Association for Young Children (PAEYC) and the Pennsylvania Intermediate Unit 1 (IU1), the award of the third year funding for the PNC Foundation- Grow up Great with Science Grant (GUGWS).

Due to the overwhelming success of the two-year PNC GUGWS grant in years 2009-2011, an additional $150,000.00 in grant monies were made available to continue for a third year the enhancement of science learning for early childhood learners of low and moderate income families. The focus for year three is to provide quality professional development to early childhood educators. Through the trainings that will be provided, early childhood educators will continue to develop and deliver exemplary science inquiry experiences to preschool age children.

An additional goal of the project is to develop sustainability within the grant by identifying exemplary teacher leaders. These exemplary teachers or “champions” of science will conduct hands on learning experiences for preschoolers that will be recorded as a way to preserve the examples and provide ongoing professional development to the early childhood learning community. Through the video-taped sessions, this tool will further showcase the first principles of science inquiry through online courses offered by the IU1 and California University of Pennsylvania. The final course will be presented as three one-credit, on-line courses.

Finally, the partnership between California University, the IU 1, PAEYC and PIC/ Head Start/EHS will continue to flourish and be sustainable for years to come. Most of all, the children of southwest Pennsylvania will continue to gain quality learning experiences in the field of early childhood education with a strong focus on science and an immediate outcome of new tools for problem solving.