Nine PBS is partnering with Harris-Stowe State University to support its Community Impact Network Education Center.
“It is the hope that we can make a difference in the lives of the families of this community and do our part in changing the narrative. – Gina Watkins, a Wittcoff Community engagement fellow
The Center recently opened the Nine PBS Early Learning Nook to encourage literacy for pre-K through third grade. Nine PBS donated PBS KIDS playtime pads, furniture, and toys that encourage imagination and learning through play.
“We have designated an area on our lower level for this resource,” Harris-Stowe Impact Education Center Executive Director Aline Phillips said. “We plan to use this space to encourage families and early childhood centers to bring young learners for storytelling, academic engagement, and literacy opportunities.”
The partnership is a part of the Nine PBS Raymond Wittcoff Community Engagement Fellowship, creating partnerships and connecting community organizations and institutions to Nine PBS’s free educational resources.
“This partnership is more than just a shared space,” said Gina Watkins, a Wittcoff Community engagement fellow. “It is the hope that we can make a difference in the lives of the families of this community and do our part in changing the narrative. We understand that children with a solid foundation in pre-reading and social-emotional self-regulation skills would be on a path to college readiness. As young adults, parents, and grandparents benefit from the services offered by the Center, it would be child friendly, a space for early learners to engage in learning activities.”
The Harris-Stowe State University Impact Education Center provides Early College Programs, Dual Enrollment, Continuing Education, HiSet Testing (An alternative to getting a high school degree and is similar to other high school equivalency tests, like the GED,) and job training opportunities for students and families residing in the Normandy Collaborative School District and parts of North St. Louis County.
