Scottdale Early Learning Receives Major Grants

Scottdale Early Learning, Inc. (SEL, www.scottdale.org) has reached the midpoint of its 41st year of service to low and moderate income children age six weeks to 5 years old and their families with a number of exciting new achievements. Following the completion of a new, comprehensive strategic plan, the Board of Directors was able to secure over a half million dollars in new funding which will primarily be used to implement several key initiatives outlined in the plan.

“Our Board of Directors, under the leadership of Board Chair Cynthia Livingston, has really stepped up to the plate with fundraising,” said Maryum Lewis Gibson, executive director of Scottdale Early Learning, Inc. “Our board members have secured commitments from a number of extremely prestigious organizations, including The Goizueta Foundation, the Greene-Sawtell Foundation of SunTrust Trusteed Foundations and the MAXIMUS Foundation, among others. We are thrilled these organizations believe in SEL’s work and are committed to helping us achieve our future goals.”

The grants will be used to implement specific programs, including:

• Awarding scholarships and tuition assistance year-round to underserved DeKalb children up to age 5
• Hiring a new full-time director of marketing and development for SEL
• Renovating and repurposing space within the Scottdale Early Learning’s building in order to better serve students. Examples include creating a new private therapy room and updating resource space.
• Creating and implementing ongoing professional development programs for SEL’s teachers and staff.

The new strategic plan was created by Integrated Organizational Development (www.iodinc.com), a firm that specializes in capacity building for a variety of organizational development challenges for nonprofits in Greater Atlanta. The firm helps its clients make data-driven decisions to create measurable improvements in performance, impact and sustainability.

“I invite businesses and individuals with a passion for serving children to contact me to learn more about how SEL works in our community. We hope to find partners for additional goals outlined in the new strategic plan. Among the plan’s recommendations are creating consistent, structured evaluation plans for our programs, exploring new opportunities such as transportation services and summer camp and strengthening our relationships with parents through programs like organized parent volunteer groups. We are extremely grateful to the people and businesses that currently support SEL, and are very excited to begin implementing many of the plan’s recommendations.”

About Scottdale Early Learning, Inc.

Founded in 1977 in DeKalb County’s historic Scottdale community, Scottdale Early Learning, Inc. (formerly Scottdale Child Development and Family Resource Center) is a 501(c)3 early care and educational organization serving low and moderate income families. Its mission is to provide early education that fosters the intellectual, creative, social, emotional, and physical development of its students age 6 weeks to 5 years old. SEL mitigates socioeconomic disadvantages through high-quality education, family involvement and community engagement, ensuring that all SEL students are ready for kindergarten. The Center is accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), the nation’s leading organization of early childhood professionals. For more information, visit www.scottdale.org.