NKCAC Teams up with the Cincinnati Museum Center and PNC Foundation

Area preschool children will have more opportunities to learn science basics and experience-related activities that are educational and fun through the $160,000 grant to Cincinnati Museum Center and the Northern Kentucky Action Commission (NKCAC) from the PNC Foundation.

The funding is part of Grow Up Great with Science, PNC’s new initiative to help foster a foundation in science for area preschoolers at a time when many educators have sought increased emphasis on the discipline.

With the grant, Museum Center and NKCAC will create ECSITE (Early Childhood Science and Inquiry Training for Educators), an innovative professional development program that seeks to improve the overall quality of science learning by better equipping early childhood teachers and their classrooms.

“The goal of ECSITE is to develop teachers who can independently create quality science inquiry experiences for students,” said Tonya Matthews, Vice President of Museums for Museum Center. “We’ll do this by first introducing teachers to the process; then by providing support to the teachers in the form of materials, personal mentors and an introduction into low-cost resources; and finally, by building a self-sustaining teacher support network that includes a ‘train the trainer’ model, virtual science teacher network and science teacher hotline.”

The investment by the PNC Foundation, which receives its principle funding from The PNC Financial Services Group (NYSE: PNC), was among 15 grants in seven states and the District of Columbia announced today in celebration of the fifth anniversary of PNC Grow Up Great, the 10-year, $100 million investment in early childhood education. The PNC Foundation has pledged up to $6 million in grants to fund regional science centers over three years and conduct an independent evaluation of the program’s success. The second- and third-year funding is contingent upon successful completion of the prior year’s project goals.

“Our support of Museum Center and NKCAC is another strategic investment to help our non-profit partners, preschools and caregivers develop stronger, smarter and healthier families and communities,” said [name of regional president] for PNC. “Through these grants, we expect children will have experiences that would not otherwise be possible.”

Museum Center and NKCAC previously collaborated through Museum Center’s Programs-on-Wheels, but while Programs-on-Wheels brings science learning directly to classrooms, the experience is not designed as a professional development tool for teachers.

“We anticipate the ECSITE program being extremely beneficial to teachers and students,” said Florence Tandy, NKCAC executive director. “Our organization serves nearly 450 children from low-income families each year and for the ECSITE program, that’s just the beginning. These teachers will have the ability to train other teachers creating a domino effect that has the potential to help thousands of children in our region.”

In addition to the time, energy and resources from Museum Center and NKCAC, many of the activities will receive assistance from PNC employees as volunteers.

PNC Grow Up Great has contributed more than $17 million in grants to enhance preschool programs, 102,000 hours in PNC employee volunteerism, and donated more than 100,000 items from mittens and gloves, to materials for science and arts projects, books and toothbrushes for preschool children across eight states and the District of Columbia.

Cincinnati Museum Center at Union Terminal is a nationally recognized institution dedicated to sparking community dialogue, insight and inspiration. As one of the top cultural attractions in the Midwest, Cincinnati Museum Center has served as an educational, research and entertainment resource to millions of visitors from around the world.

Organizations within Museum Center include the Cincinnati History Museum, Duke Energy Children's Museum, the Museum of Natural History & Science, the Robert D. Lindner Family OMNIMAX® Theater, and the Cincinnati Historical Society Library. These organizations combine to serve more than one million visitors annually, reaching out to nearly 400,000 young people through hands-on exhibits and programs.

Originally built in 1933 as a train station, Union Terminal stands as one of the last remaining grand-scale Art Deco style railroad terminals. The building is a National Historic Landmark and was renovated and reopened as Cincinnati Museum Center in 1990.For information, call 1-800-733-2077 or visit www.cincymuseum.org.

Northern Kentucky Community Action Commission is a 40 plus-year old organization with a mission to help low-income individuals and families develop the knowledge and resources needed to achieve self reliance. The NKCAC administers the six northern Kentucky Head Start centers which serve nearly 450 children annually.

NKCAC’s Head Start has become an established program that continues to grow to meet the needs of preschool age children from economically disadvantaged families and children with disabilities. Program offerings include teaching and educational opportunities, kindergarten readiness, and training for parents that recognizes parents as a child’s first teacher. Educational offerings are developed to meet each child’s needs through a variety of learning experiences in which learning is through play and developmentally appropriate activities. For more information, visit www.nkcac.org.