Greensburg, PA - The Private Industry Council of Westmoreland/Fayette, Inc. (PIC), grantee of Head Start/Early Head Start of Fayette County, is pleased to announce that it is the recipient of a PNC Grow Up Great demonstration grant at the maximum amount of $50,000. Funds will be used to initiate an early childhood education program in mathematics that will include training activities for Head Start children, parents, and staff. The grant is made possible by The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE: PNC) through the PNC Foundation as part of the PNC Grow Up Great initiative, a 10-year, $100 million investment to help prepare children from birth to age five for success in school and in life.

As with most Head Start programs, the project has the goal of increasing the involvement of parents with their children. In addition, part of the grant will help educate Head Start teachers to be better equipped to teach mathematics, and to develop best practices in early education in the subject of mathematics. Financial support for PIC's mathematics program may be renewed for up to three years.

PIC President, Tim Yurcisin, believes this funding is yet another example of the PNC Foundation helping to strengthen and enrich the lives of the communities in which the Council operates. "We are overwhelmed by the backing we have received from PNC through this initiative. Over the years, PNC has been a significant contributor to our programming, helping to make a meaningful, lasting impact on the communities we serve. I would like to thank them for their continued support."

To create a more effective program, PIC will work collaboratively with the YMCA of Philadelphia and Vicinity, North Head Start, which has developed a successful mathematics program through funding by PNC Grow Up Great. This collaboration between urban and rural Head Start programs will enable the sharing of approaches, challenges, and best practices in pursuit of the development of an innovative math curriculum.

"We're excited to learn from each other," said Roslyn Edwards, vice president of Community and Program Development, North Philadelphia Head Start Program at the YMCA. "Our mathematics program has been successful because it has embraced children, families, staff, and communities. PNC has been a great driver of this initiative to mentor with our sister Head Start at the Private Industry Council. As a result, we decided to take the relationship further by sharing our strengths, challenges, and successes with their teachers."

To assess the impact of the demonstration project to increase math skills for the children, PIC will utilize the services of an evaluation team from the University of Pittsburgh. The curriculum will be reviewed and modified based on this evaluation and on the assessments given to Head Start children each year.

PNC Grow Up Great is a 10-year, $100 million investment to help prepare children from birth to age five - with a focus on underserved children - for success in school and life. Founded by The PNC Financial Services Group, Grow Up Great and PNC Crezca con Éxito, its Spanish-language equivalent, form the most comprehensive corporate-based school readiness program in the nation committed to helping produce stronger, smarter and healthier children, families and communities.

The Private Industry Council of Westmoreland/Fayette, Inc., a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, has been operating employment, education, and training programs in Westmoreland and Fayette Counties since 1983. From its inception, PIC has provided services to over 50,000 individuals and works every day to achieve its mission. The Private Industry Council has been the grantee for Head Start of Fayette County for twelve years and of Early Head Start of Fayette County for eight years. The programs serve a total of 781 children in the Fayette County area.

For more information on Head Start/Early Head Start of Fayette County or the PNC Grow Up Great Demonstration Program, please contact Sandi Hall, Head Start/Early Head Start Assistant Director, at 724-430-4818, extension 101.

Participating in the PNC Foundation check presentation are (left to right) John Malone, a PNC Vice President and member of PIC Board of Directors; Tim Yurcisin, PIC President; and Matt Kremposky, Uniontown PNC Bank Branch Manager.