Clarksville Community Schools awarded $69,000 to improve children's learning capacity, quality

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- As part of an initiative started in 2021 Clarksville Community Schools (CCS) was awarded a $69,000 grant as the state pushes to improve early learning opportunities.

In 2021, Early Learning Indiana (ELI), Indiana’s oldest and largest early childhood education nonprofit, started the "Closing the Gap" initiative. This program involves assessing Indiana's early learning opportunities in an attempt to develop a methodology to identify and solve early learning issues throughout the state.

After this year's Closing the Gap report, ELI awarded over $1 million in grants to 15 organizations across the state.

"Our report confirms that we are making slow, but steady, progress in expanding access to high-quality early learning opportunities,” Maureen Weber, president and CEO of ELI, said in a news release. “Even as this work continues in communities across Indiana, we must redouble our efforts to ensure that every early learning classroom has an effective teacher and that families in need can afford the cost of care.”

The 15 recipients of the grants are predicted to create 563 new child care seats for 233 infants and toddlers and 330 preschool and pre-K children, according to a press release from ELI and CCS.

CCS in particular says it will spend the $69,000 it received on expanding and improving preschool classrooms to provide more children the opportunity to learn in a higher quality environment.

Assistant Superintendent Dr. Brian Allred said, “We know offering early childhood educational opportunities will help strengthen our students' preparation as they move forward in their learning journey. This, in turn, will positively affect all of us as we prepare our students K-12 for their future career endeavors to be able to contribute to the community.”

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