United Way’s Bold Goals Coalition is dedicated to raising the bar on education in Central Alabama from Pre-K to college. And, United Way’s Success By 6 initiative is specifically focused on increasing access to quality early learning. The students of Joshua Learning Tree Academy in Tarrant became some of the most recent beneficiaries of the two groups’ combined efforts in 2017.
By joining forces, Bold Goals and Success By 6 helped Joshua Learning Tree Academy win a $150,000-First Class Pre-K grant through the Alabama Department of Early Childhood Education and federal funds for preschool development. The grant has enabled Joshua Learning Tree Academy to install an all-new classroom, purchase the latest and most appropriate developmental materials and support teacher salaries.
Leading up to the grant, Success By 6 worked with Joshua Learning Tree for three years. School-readiness specialists provided resources, including technical assistance and professional-development training, which ultimately helped position the facility as a top-performing center. The Bold Goals Early Learning Action Network then worked hand-in-hand with staff to help navigate the grant application process and meet the rigorous quality standards that are part of the program.
The end-result is an early-learning center that’s better funded, staffed and equipped than ever before to help children in Central Alabama get the productive start they need for success in school and a first-class education.