PNC Grow Up Grant

The PNC Grow Up Grant supports early education initiatives that benefit children from birth to age five and serve children from low- to moderate-income families. The PNC Grow Up Grant also includes direct services for children in their community, professional development for early childhood educators and family community engagement in children’s early learning.

Projects

The project, From Cradle to Kinder: Communities Engaged Together for Early Childhood Education, engages children ages 0-5, their families, and Early Childhood Educators in early literacy development across the Rio Grande Valley community. The grant activities include Literacy Days in City Parks with the Mobile Literacy Unit (MLU), a Professional Development Conference, and a campaign on Bilingualism is a Superpower.

Literacy Days in City Parks

Literacy Days in City parks are festival-like days devoted to communities with purposeful and playful literacy activities to develop children’s language, social-emotional and literacy development, ensuring future academic success. Children receive free books.

Mobile Literacy Unit (MLU)

Provides children and families in the Rio Grande Valley access to free books, literacy games, and story time to improve children’s school readiness.

Professional Development Conference

The Professional Development Conference for Early Childhood Educators focuses on effective and intentional teaching of early literacy development and other developmentally appropriate practices.

Bilingualism as A Superpower Campaign

Early Childhood Education faculty organized a campaign celebrating Bilingualism as A Superpower to advocate for bilingualism in the community.