Philadelphia has jumped headfirst into the national celebration known as The Week of the Young Child (WOYC), turning the spotlight on the city's youngest cherubs, along with the adults who mold their young minds, according to a recent Philadelphia government announcement. This week-long initiative, which started Saturday, April 6, and wraps up Friday, April 12, throws a big bear hug around early childhood programs and the needs of kids and families that rely on them.
One standout this year is Christine Vieto, the Executive Director at Prodigy Learning Center, where she's not just overseeing operations but fostering an environment where pint-sized Philadelphians can start their educational journey off the right foot. According to an Office of Children and Families (OCF) interview with Vieto, being a part of the PHLpreK community has been like hitting the jackpot for the center, her crew, and the kids they serve, spurring growth and becoming a cornerstone of the community for families that fall through the cracks of the Early Learning Resource Center Region 18's system but still can't swing the steep price tag of private education.
The secret sauce for Vieto and her team? Strong roots in the program since its inception and a knack for understanding and meeting the individual needs of students and their families, which, by the way, often leads to free marketing thanks to satisfied parents chatting up the center's virtues to just about anyone who'll listen – talk about grassroots! "Many families advertise our program through word of mouth by telling their friends, family members, and neighbors about us and the services we provide," Vieto told OCF.
But it’s not all kid stuff at Prodigy Learning Center - the teachers get some pampering, too, with Vieto committed to shoving them up the professional ladder by shoveling resources for higher education and training opportunities. "Our ultimate goal is to ensure that every child in our care develops a lifelong love of learning, feels safe and secure, and is well-prepared for future academic endeavors," Vieto remarked in the interview.
The Prodigy Learning Center's modus operandi is nicely summed up by Vieto's quote: “Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is a success.” And if you're wondering who's backing this kid-extravaganza, look no further than the National Association for the Education of Young Children, a heavyweight in the ring of early childhood edu-org. PHLpreK is the icing on the cake, offering gratis pre-K, no matter the family's tax bracket.
