Detroit Evening Report: New early childhood center opens on Detroit’s east side
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Brad Coulter, CEO of Matrix Family Services, cuts the ribbon for the new McClellan Early Childhood Center in Detroit, Aug. 20, 2024.
Community stakeholders, dignitaries and residents held a ribbon cutting ceremony this week to celebrate the opening of the new McClellan Early Childhood Center on Detroit’s east side.
Located on the site where Detroit Public Schools’ Pingree Elementary once operated, the 15,000-square-foot facility features eight classrooms that are providing 96 new seats for early learners in the community, helping to close a 521-seat gap in the surrounding neighborhoods, according to the city.
The Center, which will welcome its first students in October 2024, will also offer Head Start and Early Head Start programs and feature a community room and meeting spaces for use by local organizations and residents.
Funding for the project came from a variety of public and private entities, according to lender and developer IFF, which was tasked with sourcing the capital to make the Center possible.
The nonprofit early childhood educator and social services organization Matrix Human Services will operate the McClellan ECC.
“The McClellan Early Childhood Center is a milestone in our mission to transform Head Start early childhood education in Detroit,” said Matrix CEO Brad Coulter in a statement. “By providing a new state of the art facility right in the heart of Gratiot Woods, we are setting a foundation for our children’s future success. This facility is not just a school; it’s a commitment to our community.”
For more information about the McClellan Early Childhood Center, visit iff.org/mcclellan.
Other headlines for Friday, Aug. 23, 2024:
- A new report from the Citizens Research Council of Michigan examines the value in using public policy to drive economic innovation in Michigan.
- The Detroit Lions will play against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday, Aug. 25, in their last pre-season game before the start of the 2024 2025 NFL season.
- The Detroit Bourbon & Blues festival is taking place from 12 to 6:30 p.m. on Sunday in Eastern Market’s Shed 5.
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