On a clear, cool day in late February 2024, a dozen young Durham scientists working in groups combed through a grassy area scanning the ground, intent on their mission. They were looking for treasure. Together, they had spent the morning preparing for their search by reviewing maps marked with gold stars and honing their spatial…
We are thankful to the Bull City Sigmas for truly putting the word “giving” into Thanksgiving as they partnered with us in November and provided Thanksgiving meals for 35 families! We appreciate their continued support of the Durham community and Durham PreK!
During National Apprenticeship Week, the Durham Early Childhood Educator Apprenticeship program was thrilled to spotlight 4 of the participants in our inaugural cohort. Meet these 4 apprentices to learn more about why they decided to become early childhood educators, what excites them most about the apprenticeship program, and their hopes and goals for their careers. …
First Presbyterian Day School Achieves NAEYC Accreditation First Presbyterian Day School has officially achieved accreditation by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC)! The NAEYC Accreditation process is a 3-year, multi-step journey based on NAEYC’s 10 Accreditation Standards. Each standard has anywhere from 5-40 individual indicators of high-quality childcare programs that must be…
Dr. Iheoma Iruka is a professor and researcher at University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. She serves as a Fellow at UNC’s Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute (FPG), where she is the Founding Director of the Equity Research Action Coalition. Dr. Iruka has authored numerous articles as well as a book, “Don’t Look Away:…
CityHealth Awards Durham with Gold Medal for the Second Year in a Row for its work toward inclusive Early Childhood Education Durham, N.C., December, 2023: CityHealth awarded Durham a gold medal in the area of High-Quality, Accessible Pre-K for the investments made to adopt policies that improve access to pre-kindergarten and early childhood education within…
On November 16th, Child Care Services Association and Durham Tech hosted a celebration to recognize over 40 early childhood educators and their 20 mentors who have joined the inaugural cohort of the Durham Early Childhood Educator Apprenticeship. With 13 partnering employers engaged in the program (and counting), the Durham program is the largest Registered Apprenticeship…
We are delighted to share the news of a generous donation of $500 to bolster our Durham Early Childhood Educator Apprenticeship Program. This significant contribution comes from the Zeta Doves Foundation, Inc., an esteemed organization dedicated to improving and enhancing communities globally, with a commitment to holistic well-being that impacts the mind, body, and spirit….
For more than 15 years, Beth Messersmith has been involved with MomsRising, an on-the-ground and online grassroots organization of more than a million people who are working to achieve economic security for all moms, women, and families in the United States. Beth also has served on the Durham PreK Governance Committee since its inception. She…
Natalie Beyer is a member of the Durham Public Schools’ Board of Education for District 4. This interview was conducted the morning of Monday, December 19, 2022. Natalie, you’ve long been an outspoken proponent of public schools. You’ve served on the public Durham Public Schools’ Board of Education for more than a decade. Thinking back,…