What makes the University of West Georgia’s Early Learning Center one of the Top 15 university-affiliated centers of its kind in the nation? Let’s count the ways.
In celebration of the Week of the Young Child, observed April 6-12, we sat down with the center’s director, Melanie Brooks, to discover why the program is a model for the nation when it comes to pre-K initiatives.
One, two, learn something new
Recently ranked No. 13 in the United States for accessibility and affordability, UWG’s ELC is known for its commitment to the university, the community and the future of early childhood education.
“It is well-established that the first three to five years of a child’s life are critically important to brain development and relationship skills,” explained Dr. Laura Smith, associate dean of UWG’s College of Education (COE), where the program is housed. “In West Georgia, only about 50% of children are accessing formal early childhood programs. Young children must be provided with opportunities to engage appropriately in classroom learning tasks in order to enter the kindergarten classroom ‘ready to learn,’ and they must be provided with access to high-quality, early learning opportunities.”
Dr. Mike Dishman, COE dean, said the ranking is a well-deserved accomplishment.
“We are pleased and honored that the UWG College of Education Early Learning Center has achieved this much-merited recognition, which is a result of an innovative quest to develop a state-of-the-art early childhood research and demonstration facility,” Dishman added. “Melanie Brooks and the ELC staff are truly outstanding, and Ms. Brooks’ leadership skills in programming and community…
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