Vol. 19, No. 18

Feb. 3, 2000

Anonymous gift will benefit
Laboratory Preschool

An anonymous donor has given almost $100,000 to create an endowment fund in support of the University’s Laboratory Preschool, in the College of Human Resources, Education and Public Policy’s Department of Individual and Family Studies. The gift, which was made in December in the form of a mutual fund, is the largest endowment of its kind in the preschool’s 65-plus years of operation. “This is an unusually generous gift, and it’s especially exciting because the donor has set it up so that the preschool benefits directly and has a great deal of latitude in how to use the funds,” Alice Eyman, director of the preschool, said. “It will give us some wonderful opportunities to do things that we wouldn’t be able to offer on a more limited budget.” The donor, who is described as having had a longtime commitment to supporting the preschool, specified only that the endowment fund be used in support of its programs. For example, Eyman said, the money might be used for cultural enrichment programs or other special activities for the children, professional development, scholarships, capital improvements or equipment. At some point, she said, the preschool might be able to use endowment funds to provide outreach to children and communities beyond the Newark area. The donor’s hope is that additional gifts will be made by those interested in the growth and continued success of the preschool, so that the fund will increase, said Greg Johnson, University development. The preschool enrolls 66 children, ages 2-5, divided by age into four classes, including kindergarten. It also offers a separate summer program for younger toddlers. Its missions include providing high-quality programs for the children, giving UD students and faculty opportunities to observe and work with young children and serving as a model preschool program and resource for teachers and others in the larger community. No more than half the children come from families of University employees, and two slots in each classroom are reserved for youngsters with disabilities. “We serve a lot of groups–the children who attend the preschool and their families; the University, through teacher training and research; and the community, by serving as a model preschool and by doing educational outreach and professional development programs,” Eyman said. Each school year, hundreds of UD students visit the preschool, located in Alison Hall. Some merely observe a class through an adjacent one-way window as part of a course assignment. Others, generally as a practicum for an upper-level course in early childhood development, spend a half-day each week interacting with a class. And, still others fulfill a nine-week student teaching requirement in the preschool, working under the direction of a master teacher. In addition, faculty and students in the Department of Individual and Family Studies, the School of Education and elsewhere in the University often do research at the preschool. Founded by what was then the Department of Home Economics in the Women’s College as part of its child development program, the preschool has operated continuously since 1934. Individuals with questions about contributing to the Laboratory Preschool Fund should call Johnson at 831-0764 or Eyman at 831-8555. –Ann Manser