By Kristina Schnack Kotlus
Schools and Education Reporter
PRINCE WILLIAM COUNTY, Va. — Children under age five in Prince William County, Manassas City and Manassas Park areas will benefit from a new school readiness initiative called Smart Beginnings Greater Prince William.
The initiative was launched with a $50,000 planning grant from the Virginia Early Childhood Foundation and the PNC Foundation’s Grow-Up Great Program.
A May 2010 summit sponsored by PNC Bank included a discussion among senior managers about the importance of developing a strong future workforce. Regional PNC president Glenn Kindard, who is also vice chairman of the Virginia Early Childhood Foundation, helped foster growth of the summit’s ideas from there.
“It was exciting to watch this important initiative gain momentum as community leaders from the public and private sectors recognized the huge return on investment when young children are equipped to succeed in school and, ultimately, in the workforce,” said Kindard in a press release.
The grant itself will be used to fund an assessment of early learning needs in the Prince William region, as well as to develop a strategic plan and leadership team between July 1, 2011 and December 31, 2012.
SPARK, the education foundation for Prince William County Public Schools will serve as fiscal agent for Smart Beginnings Greater Prince William during the development process.
