The Learning Center - HISTORY OF THE LEARNING CENTERIn 1993, members of St. John Presbyterian Church had a dream to establish a preschool in the Sunday school classrooms of the church. A learning center committee was organized to raise funds and recruit volunteers to help make this dream a reality. The forty-year-old classrooms were renovated to comply with city codes, and The Learning Center opened in January 1995 with two students enrolled. Within three years, The Learning Center was operating at maximum capacity with forty students and an accreditation from the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). Board members decided to begin awarding scholarships to at-risk children living in under-served neighborhoods with low-income working parents. Amounts of scholarships are based on a sliding scale according to family income. It soon became apparent that the need for early education for at-risk children was greater than we had anticipated and a decision was made to begin a capital campaign to raise funds for the construction of a new building. In 2000 the National Office of Presbyterian Women awarded their Birthday Offering to The Learning Center for just this purpose. Additional funds were raised and on November 15, 2004 ,we moved into a state-of-the-art 6,030 square foot building with a capacity to accommodate up to one hundred students. We believe parents are their children’s first and most important teachers, and in 2002 The Learning Center received a grant from the Allegany Franciscan Foundation to establish a family literacy program. The program is currently one of only 12 academies in the state under the Florida Family Literacy Initiative, formerly known as the Governor’s Family Literacy Initiative. The Learning Center opened another site at John Calvin Presbyterian Church in September 2008. The new facility is located at the corner of Nebraska and Lambright. This area, known as Seminole Heights, is another under-served community with a disproportionate number of single mothers living at or below poverty guidelines. Our Scholarship Program now exceeds $100,000 per year for which new sources of funding are being sought through grants, foundations, fundraising events, and private donations.

HISTORY OF THE LEARNING CENTER

In 1993, members of St. John Presbyterian Church had a dream to establish a preschool in the Sunday school classrooms of the church. A learning center committee was organized to raise funds and recruit volunteers to help make this dream a reality. The forty-year-old classrooms were renovated to comply with city codes, and The Learning Center opened in January 1995 with two students enrolled.

Within three years, The Learning Center was operating at maximum capacity with forty students and an accreditation from the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). Board members decided to begin awarding scholarships to at-risk children living in under-served neighborhoods with low-income working parents. Amounts of scholarships are based on a sliding scale according to family income.

It soon became apparent that the need for early education for at-risk children was greater than we had anticipated and a decision was made to begin a capital campaign to raise funds for the construction of a new building. In 2000 the National Office of Presbyterian Women awarded their Birthday Offering to The Learning Center for just this purpose. Additional funds were raised and on November 15, 2004 ,we moved into a state-of-the-art 6,030 square foot building with a capacity to accommodate up to one hundred students.

We believe parents are their children’s first and most important teachers, and in 2002 The Learning Center received a grant from the Allegany Franciscan Foundation to establish a family literacy program. The program is currently one of only 12 academies in the state under the Florida Family Literacy Initiative, formerly known as the Governor’s Family Literacy Initiative.

The Learning Center opened another site at John Calvin Presbyterian Church in September 2008. The new facility is located at the corner of Nebraska and Lambright. This area, known as Seminole Heights, is another under-served community with a disproportionate number of single mothers living at or below poverty guidelines.

Our Scholarship Program now exceeds $100,000 per year for which new sources of funding are being sought through grants, foundations, fundraising events, and private donations.

Notice of Nondiscriminatory Policy as To Students

The Learning Center admits students of any race, color, national origin, and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges,

programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. It does not discriminate on

the basis of race, color, national origin, and ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, admission

policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic and other school administered programs.

HISTORY OF THE LEARNING CENTER

St. John Presbyterian Church Campus

4110 North MacDill Avenue

Tampa, Florida 33607

Director: Dianne Patterson

Phone: (813) 872-6826

dpatterson@tlctampa.org