Casa del Carmen Preschool Academy, a ministry of Catholic Social Services of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, recently received a $20,539 grant from The Archdiocesan Educational Fund for the 2019-2020 academic fiscal year.
Mathew H. McCloskey, Jr. (1893-1973), building contractor and U.S. Ambassador to Ireland (1962-1964), created and funded the charitable organization in 1967 to advance Catholic education and evangelization throughout the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.
The funded program, Enhancing Pre-K Curriculum: Building a Two-Generation Approach to Literacy, will benefit Casa del Carmen Preschool Academy and support the purchase of a research-based curriculum that will directly impact children and families through a two-generation approach to family literacy.
“Last fall, we notified our past grantees and applicants that, in addition to continuing our traditional funding interests, we would take a special look at early childhood education,” said Patricia Canning, director of grants management for the Archdiocesan Educational Fund.
“Casa del Carmen has long served the Latino community, which is another priority funding interest. In fact, we’re now funding a literacy program for predominantly Latino mothers and children in the Coatesville area,” she added. “Our grant review committee was happy to see these two priorities merge with an award to Casa del Carmen that supports a research-based curriculum that will have a direct effect on the school’s mostly Hispanic low-income preschool-age children and their caregivers.”
In addition, grant funds will provide Teaching Strategies Gold Creative Curriculum 6th Edition which will benefit 196 children. Funds will also provide 11 teachers with the professional development, training and coaching opportunities needed to facilitate an atmosphere that empowers children to learn through creativity and exploration.
Background on Casa del Carmen Preschool Academy
Casa del Carmen Preschool Academy is a PHLpreK program that provides full-service, early childhood education to children between the ages of three and five. In addition, it is a Keystone Stars 4 program.
Since 1998, Casa del Carmen Preschool Academy has been serving the Hunting Park neighborhood in North Philadelphia. Dedicated early childhood education professionals provide students with a high quality preschool education. They utilize research-based structured play activities to help the children learn the knowledge, skills, and abilities they will need to be well prepared for entering Kindergarten. Further, once students have graduated from the program, after-school and full-day summer camp programs are offered which provide a safe place for continued growth and learning.
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