One City Early Learning Centers of Madison and Edgewood College’s School of Education have announced a new partnership they have formed to provide preschool teachers-in-training with significant hands-on experience in early childhood education in a community setting.
One City is a nonprofit preschool located in South Madison that opened in September 2015. They presently serve 35 children ages 1 to 5 and plan to grow to serve 110 (including infants) by 2018 in their current location. The organization’s mission is to prepare young children from birth to age 5 for success in school and life, and ensure they enter grade school reading-ready.
Beginning this month, Edgewood College will teach its Pre-student Teaching Practicum Course, Ed 381: Pre-reading and Literature for the Young Child, at One City’s preschool located at 2012 Fisher Street in South Madison. The course engages pre-service teachers in the analysis and investigation of literature written for young children. It also addresses the relationships between language development, reading and early childhood experiences in school and home settings.
Edgewood’s students will work with One City teachers to identify quality reading materials for young children from diverse backgrounds, and engage One City’s children in the classroom in pre-reading and literacy development activities. Storytelling, bookmaking and writing children’s books will be explored in the course, as well.
One City’s Founder and CEO Kaleem Caire hailed the partnership as “a huge win for One City, its children and the City of Madison.”
“It’s a great opportunity for pre-service teachers to enhance their professional knowledge, cultural awareness and dexterity in a diverse school and community setting in South Madison,” Caire says.
“Having one of the state’s leading schools of education working in our preschool and neighborhood provides the bridge we need to attract more young people into the teaching profession,” Caire adds. “Emerging teachers want to do hands-on work throughout their training, and this partnership gives them the opportunity to do so.”
(Photo by Marcus Miles)
“Our partnership with One City directly reflects our commitment to the short and long-term success of the thousands of children and adults that our graduates will impact in the future,” says Tim Slekar, Dean of Edgewood’s School of Education. “It also supports our desire to provide the most relevant and high-quality educational experience possible to our teachers-in-training. This is a win for everyone involved.”
Edgewood’s course will be taught by Dr. Cynthia Perry, professor of early childhood education. The practicum course will take place from 8:30-11:30 a.m. every Wednesday during the Spring 2017 semester. One City will also serve as a host site for Edgewood’s student teachers during the summer of 2017.
