Early Education Center Now Accepting Pre-Registration
Exemplary teacher training, enriching learning environment for children
With the opening of the D. Scott Hudgens, Jr. Early Education Center on the campus of Gwinnett Technical College just months away, pre-registration for the Center’s 220 spots is now open.
The 26,000 square-foot, state-of-the-art facility will open its doors July 10, welcoming children ages 6 weeks to 12 years. The facility’s Pre-Kindergarten Program will begin on August 14. Pre-registration applications and information are available online by clicking here.
Following National Association for the Education of the Young Child (NAEYC) accreditation standards, the D. Scott Hudgens, Jr. Early Education Center will meet two valuable needs, providing:
- An enriching environment for educating and training exemplary teachers of young children, and
- A top-quality learning center for children that addresses cognitive, social, emotional and physical needs.
“Research indicates that children who are exposed to high quality early education environments – ones in which teachers are well educated and child-to-teacher ratios are low – perform better in kindergarten and are more successful throughout their entire lives,” said Mary Beth Byerly, executive director, institutional advancement, Gwinnett Tech. “The D. Scott Hudgens, Jr. Early Education Center will provide that environment. It’s win-win-win solution for the region – with students excelling, school systems strengthening and businesses being attracted to the area for a sought-after workforce.”
Gwinnett Tech began offering a two-year associate’s degree in early childhood care and education in 2003. The addition of the early education center will further develop the college’s role as a leader in training the early childhood workforce of Gwinnett County. It will serve as a model with a number of purposes, including simulating a ‘lab’ for giving students hands-on experiences in a quality center, as well as providing a research site for learning and understanding children. Equipped with observation facilities, the center will also be used as a model for other centers in the community, and will provide a safe, quality learning environment for Gwinnett’s youngest citizens.
The education center will also remove barriers to education for some of the students who are attending Gwinnett Tech. “Students can enroll their children in the center while they complete their studies, so they can secure the skills and training necessary for them to become economically self-sufficient,” said Byerly.
“The business community understands the importance of quality childhood education training and facilities,” said Byerly. “And has certainly stepped up to the plate to help fund this project.”
To date, the privately-funded $6.7 million project, has received its major underwriting from the Scott Hudgens Family foundation, as well as other individuals, businesses, foundations, corporations and education-focused entities like Smart Start Georgia and Early Learning Property Management.
“Early learning centers that demonstrate the highest standards, such as those that will be met by the D. Scott Hudgens, Jr. Center, make a tremendous impact on the lives of young children,” said Sharen Hausmann, executive director of Smart Start Georgia. “In addition to being prepared for kindergarten, these children will be more likely to succeed throughout their lifetime. By focusing on the education of its youngest children, Gwinnett County is paving the way for a very bright future and Smart Start Georgia is proud to be part of that.”
For more information about the D. Scott Hudgens, Jr. Early Education Center at Gwinnett Tech, or how you or your organization can contribute to the project, contact the institutional advancement office at 678-226-6738.
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About Gwinnett Tech
Gwinnett Technical College, one of Georgia's largest technical colleges, is committed to delivering relevant knowledge to meet the workforce training needs of its community. The college offers more than 50 associate degree, diploma and certificate programs and hundreds of seminars, workshops and courses providing specialized training. GTC is Gwinnett County's largest provider of corporate training and now serves residents and businesses in north Fulton County. Gwinnett Technical College is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award the associate degree. Contact the Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, Georgia 30033-4097,404-679-4500, www.sacscoc.org for questions about the accreditation of Gwinnett Technical College. For more information, visit www.GwinnettTech.edu.
A unit of the Technical College System of Georgia.
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