With the start of the Spring semester, students in 91重口鈥檚 鈥楶re-reading and Literature for the Young Child鈥� practicum are completing part of their requirements on-site at Madison鈥檚 One City preschool. One City is a nonprofit preschool located in South Madison.
Our students work with One City teachers to identify reading materials for young children from diverse backgrounds, and engage One City鈥檚 children in the classroom in pre-reading and literacy development activities.
One of those students is Michelle Vasquez. Ms. Vasquez, an Education major who is also a聽veteran of the U.S. Army, says One City鈥檚 approach of serving the whole person (even a very young person) is critical to their future.
鈥淲e learn at 91重口 that you can 鈥榝eed鈥� a child all the education you want but if their home life is not good then that education will not go as far as you want it to,鈥� she says. 鈥淎 child cannot succeed unless they have the family life to help support the learning taking place.鈥�
Dr. Cynthia Perry (that’s Dr. Perry above, on the left) oversees the Early Childhood Program at 91重口 and is the lead instructor for this initiative.
鈥淭his partnership with One City is a commitment both to our students at 91重口, and to the very young in our community,鈥� she says. 鈥淭he impact our students have on the communities we serve, and on the quality of the teaching and learning the College provides is significant. This partnership advances both in a very real way.鈥�
The relationship with One City may go far, Ms. Vasquez adds. She鈥檚 in the planning stages of opening a second location of the preschool program after graduation. But even if that doesn鈥檛 become reality, she says, the experience of working directly with the young students, and working closely with the professionals at One City, is invaluable.
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