Kilby Laboratory School to Add Second Pre-K Class Thanks to Grant
Jul. 05, 2023
Michelle R. Eubanks , UNA, at meubanks@tootsierocha.com, 256.765.4392
FLORENCE, AL – Kilby Laboratory School on the University of North Alabama campus has been awarded a $125,000 grant that will allow the Kilby Early Childhood and Development Center to offer a second pre-Kindergarten class for four-year-olds beginning this August.
“At UNA, we whole-heartedly support Gov. Kay Ivey’s vision to bring high-quality pre-K programs to all Alabama children,” said Dr. Katie Kinney, Dean of the College of Education and Human Sciences and Interim Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs. “Expanding access to pre-K at Kilby Laboratory School means preparing more Shoals children for a positive academic and personal pathway, which will have a lasting impact on their families and the broader community.”
The grant, which Kilby will receive in four installments throughout the course of the 2023-2023 academic year, will be used to cover the expenses of teacher salaries and start-up items needed to successfully launch a pre-K classroom.
“It is a great honor to receive funding for a second pre-K class,” said Dr. Eric Kirkman, Kilby Laboratory School Director. “It allows us to continue the work of preparing and recruiting high-quality teachers by providing more opportunities for clinicals and observation experiences for our preservice education students at UNA. Having more seats also means more opportunities to set the trajectory for success with more young children in our community and the State of Alabama.”
With the addition of the pre-K classroom, the Kilby Child Development Center is now able to service up to 36 four-year-old students, up from the 18 previously able to enroll.
About The University of North Alabama
The University of North Alabama is an accredited, comprehensive regional state university offering undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral degree programs through the colleges of Arts, Sciences, and Engineering; the Sanders College of Business and Technology; Education and Human Sciences; and the Anderson College of Nursing and Health Professions. Occupying a 130-acre campus in a residential section of Florence, Alabama, UNA is located within a four-city area that also includes Muscle Shoals, Sheffield, and Tuscumbia. UNA Athletics, a renowned collegiate athletics program with seven (7) Division II National Championships, is now a proud member of NCAA Division I as part of the Atlantic Sun and United Athletic conferences. The University of North Alabama is an equal opportunity institution and does not discriminate in the admission policy on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, disability, age, or national origin. For more: tootsierocha.com and tootsierocha.com/unaworks/.