Head Start of Greater Dallas, Inc., HSGD, has received a grant from the Carl B. and Florence E. King Foundation for $30,000. The grant will support the installation of new playground equipment at the recently constructed Brookhaven College Head Start Center, which will open its doors in August 2007.
“In the Head Start setting, the playground provides much more than recreation to the children; it is part of our early childhood development program,” said Wanda J. Smith, chief executive officer, Head Start of Greater Dallas.
Scientists at The Children's Institute for Research and Development emphasize how play benefits the cognitive, social and emotional development in children. In addition, the lack of exercise among many of today's children poses a danger to their health as adults, and playground equipment effectively promotes physical activity of children.
This state-of-the-art center will feature Head Start of Greater Dallas' nationally recognized early childhood education program, an array of educational services offered to the children's parents by Brookhaven College and a lab school for students at Brookhaven pursuing careers in early childhood education. The center will serve eligible Brookhaven College students as well as some of the 5,000 low-income families living in the surrounding community. The center will open in August 2007 and serve 160 children in eight classrooms. The center will be dedicated Oct. 11, 2007 at 2 p.m.
