The NSU Child Development Center welcomed the community to a ribbon-cutting to showcase the preschool’s redesign that occurred with assistance from the NSU Child and Family Network. The ribbon-cutting was presented in partnership with the Natchitoches Area Chamber of Commerce.
NATCHITOCHES – The Marie Shaw Dunn Child Development Center at Northwestern State University and the Natchitoches Area Chamber of Commerce hosted a ribbon-cutting to reopen the newly redesigned learning center that was developed in collaboration with the NSU Child and Family Network as a model for other childcare centers in the region.
The CDC, which serves 3- and 4-year-olds, now features natural materials, a calming color palette, soft light and curated spaces in which children can learn, play and engage, according to Faith Birdwell, CDC Director. The CDC is a Type III preschool accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children and follows the approach of a child-directed hands-on learning to provide a foundation for the cognitive and social skills essential for later academic success. The CDC is also a teacher training site where NSU education majors get real classroom experience, integrating research and best practices.
The Child and Family Network is part of NSU’s Gallaspy College of Education and Human Development and provides resources to assist early learning programs in northwest and central Louisiana. Businesses who support the Child and Family Network are eligible for a refundable tax credit up to $5,000 for donations to childcare resource and referral agencies.
Through the initiative with CFN, childcare centers from across Natchitoches Parish have the opportunity to transform their learning environments into innovative, developmentally appropriate spaces. Melissa White is Early Childhood coordinator for the Natchitoches Parish School Board,
Information on the Child Development Center is available at https://www.nsula.edu/cdc/#aboutus. Information on the NSU Child and Family Networks is available at https://cfn.nsula.edu/about-us/.