Scottdale Early Learning, a nonprofit early care and educational organization serving low and moderate income families in DeKalb County, has been awarded the Losos Prize for Innovation by the international organization Parents as Teachers, according to a press release. The annual award recognizes excellence and innovation in home visiting services to young children and their families delivered through Scottdale’s Parents as Teachers program.
Only two Losos Awards are given each year to PAT Blue Ribbon Model Affiliates.
Scottdale Early Learning has utilized the PAT program for over a decade to help young children in DeKalb County’s at-risk communities through educating and supporting their families. Based on the idea that parents are their children’s first teachers, PAT’s mission is to provide information, support and community resources to families in order for them to provide the education needed during their child’s crucial stages of development. Scottdale’s PAT services are geared for prenatal mothers until the child has reached Pre-K or Kindergarten.
The Losos Prize for Innovation is given each year to PAT Blue Ribbon Model Affiliates that have developed new solutions to address specific needs in their community. Innovation can include more effective processes, services or technologies. The prize was created in 2006 and named for its benefactor, Carolyn W. Losos. She was a lifelong early childhood proponent who was instrumental in establishing Parents as Teachers in the early 1980s.
In addition to the at-home visits, families served by the PAT program are invited to family engagement events and workshops at the center where they are able to participate in programs on parenting issues and interact with other parents. Children enjoy structured playtime together, to help prepare them for classroom settings.
Information: www.parentsasteachers.org or www.scottdale.org
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