The School District of Lancaster’s pre-kindergarten (PreK) program for district 4-year-olds is being recognized for its work to eliminate inequities in preparing children for school.
The program earned a gold level “Pennsylvania Equity in Early Childhood Education Champion Award” from the state’s Department of Human Services. It was one of more than 50 programs to earn the award statewide, and one of 21 named to the gold level.
Acting human services director Dr. Valerie Arkoosh presented the awards April 18 in a ceremony in the capitol rotunda.
“Healthy and safe learning environments give our children a foundation to grow, and every child — regardless of race, ethnicity, socioeconomic background — should have the opportunity to learn and thrive,” Acting Secretary Arkoosh said. “We cannot undersell the impact that diverse and inclusive early childhood education can make in helping a child celebrate their individual identity as well as on an entire family’s trajectory.”
For more than 20 years, SDoL’s PreK program has served at risk preschool aged children and their families in high quality, standards-based early learning classrooms. The primary goal of the program is to support the cognitive, linguistic, social, emotional and physical development of children and to prepare them for the transition to kindergarten.
“Our PreK team is filled with dedicated, compassionate educators committed to working with students and families who have been historically underserved,” said Dr. Shaun Perez, the district’s Coordinator of State and Federal Programs, who oversees PreK. “To receive state-level recognition for the effort our team puts forth is reassurance that we are on the right path to best serve our families.”
All children who will be 4 years of age on or before Sept. 1, 2023 and reside in Lancaster City or Lancaster Township are eligible to apply for PreK for the 2023-2024 school year. Please note that spaces are limited, and enrollment is based on need, not on a first come, first served basis.