ST. LOUIS, April 2, 2014 – The PNC Foundation today announced $700,000 in funding over two years to support a continued collaboration among Grace Hill Settlement House and several community organizations to help nearly 500 underserved St. Louis preschool children develop math, reading and social skills that are critical to early success in the classroom.
These grants mark the 10-year anniversary of PNC’s multi-year, bilingual early childhood education initiative, PNC Grow Up Great, which was introduced locally in 2010. With the initiatives announced today, PNC’s support of early childhood education programs in St. Louis will total $2 million.
“PNC is an advocate for early childhood education for underserved children, and we have achieved great progress in the region,” said Michael Scully, PNC Bank regional president for St. Louis. “A key to the program’s success is engaging families, educators and community partners to enhance children’s learning and development.”
The program extension supports curriculum development and field trips provided by four local science and cultural institutions, including the Missouri Botanical Garden, Saint Louis Art Museum, St. Louis Science Center and St. Louis Symphony. In addition, Maryville University will provide teacher development sessions and conduct an evaluation of the program.
St. Louis Mayor Francis G. Slay proclaimed today “PNC Grow Up Great Day” and recognized PNC’s efforts to keep early childhood education a priority, while St. Louis County Executive Charlie Dooley read a proclamation praising PNC’s commitment to early childhood education.
Through PNC’s collaboration with Grace Hill Settlement House, more than 1,400 children have participated in early childhood education programs presented by four of St. Louis’ major cultural institutions. Also, the program has increased parent interactions with their children as part of the learning process, and early childhood education specialists were added to the staffs of the four cultural partner organizations.
Also in support of the 10-year anniversary, PNC, as part of a continuing partnership with Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit educational organization behind Sesame Street™, launched a new bilingual initiative, “Words are Here, There, and Everywhere,” that builds on young children’s natural sense of curiosity to grow their vocabulary around math concepts, science and the arts. PNC donated 500 “Words That Help Me Grow” vocabulary tree posters, the first element in the new Sesame initiative, for use in the homes of Grace Hill Settlement preschoolers. The posters are available for free at all PNC Bank branches or for download on pncgrowupgreat.com. This fall, Sesame Workshop will work with PNC to roll out a free, multimedia educational kit with a DVD featuring Muppets Abby Cadabby and her new friend, Buzz Word.
The PNC Foundation, which receives its principal funding from the PNC Financial Services Group (NYSE: PNC), actively supports organizations that provide services for the benefit of communities in which it has a significant presence. The foundation focuses its philanthropic mission on early childhood education and community and economic development, which includes the arts and culture. Through Grow Up Great, its signature cause that began in 2004, PNC has created a $350 million, multi-year initiative to help prepare children from birth to age 5 for success in school and life.
CONTACT:
Terri Wilson
(502) 581-4073
(502) 419-2871 (mobile)
terri.wilson@pnc.com
