A Message from Deputy Chancellor Dr. Kara Ahmed 

Dear Early Childhood Community, 

This week I visited one of Friends of Crown Heights Education Center's programs in Brooklyn! The incredible sense of a team spirit, centered on being in service to children and their families, was so vivid and clear! The team members that greeted me -- from the program's Executive Director to the Family Worker to many other program leaders in between - were all consistent in their messaging about their program's work, with a very evident joy and pride about their individual and collective roles! 

The exact same feeling was true as we visited each 3-K and pre-K class. The team approach was so strong that you were not aware of any one person's individual title -- you only saw adults teaching children using high-quality practices! Children were actively engaged in interest areas throughout the room, both independently and with caring adults following the children's lead and extending their learning based on the children's interest. There were a variety of materials accessible to children, with containers and shelves labeled to support children's growing capacity to find and return items with ease and to support their learning experiences -- from painting a beautiful flower, to creating a crane with string to lift and move blocks, to imagining their role as a dentist as they brushed a rather large set of teeth!!
 
Throughout my visit I imagined what it feels like for a family that joins the Friends of Crown Heights Education Center community. The loving and engaging environment that wraps its arms children each day must leave families with such a profound sense of security knowing their child is not only safe but learning! Just ask pre-K teacher Mr. Braswell pictured below. His experience as an alumni of Friends of Crown Heights Education Center (yes, he attended as a child!), was so positive he returned as a teacher!! 

Great things are happening across NYC for children and their families because of each of YOU! 

In Partnership, 
Kara