Building Space for Early Education Programs

We spend a lot of time around here thinking about building infrastructure for quality early education–state early learning standards, Quality Rating and Improvement Systems, early childhood educator competencies, and professional development systems. But we don’t talk all that much about building physical infrastructure–the buildings–for quality early education programs. And, the fact is, if we want to build the supply of high-quality early education, we’re going to need more space.

On December 1, the Council of Educational Facilities Planners International (CEFPI) will host a webinar on Early Childhood Education and its Impact on Building Facilities. Pre-k Now’s Libby Dogget and I will discuss why school planners must incorporate space for quality early education programs into their designs, how space for early education programs differs from more traditional school classrooms, what the features of quality facilities for early education are, and state and federal policies that support quality early education and expand access to good early education facilities. For more information, or to participate in the webinar, visit the CEFPI site here.

Photo courtesy of AppleTree Early Learning Public Charter School.