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Pre-School lab receives big boost
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A $22 million project to build a new laboratory preschool for the University of Wisconsin School of Human Ecology received a sizable boost last week from a university alumnus and his wife.
Elliot and Frances Lehman donated $1 million to the project, which Robin Douthitt, dean of the School of Human Ecology, said would partially fund the construction of a newly developed research facility in place of the dilapidated building which currently houses the preschool.
According to Douthitt, the preschool serves both as a research and educational tool for many UW students.
“It is a center that supports not only students in the School of Human Ecology, but really a broad range of students and researchers across campus,” Douthitt said.
The Preschool Laboratory serves about 120 children each year with a staff of 16, while serving as a research facility for UW students. Staffers at the preschool serve for an average of 11 years, a rarity in an industry known for its high turnover rate.
David Riley, associate dean at the School of Ecology, said the laboratory preschool was one of the very first lab preschools in the country to reach the highest level of national accreditation for high-quality childcare.
“The preschool started in the 1920s as a place to do observational research on children in their natural settings,” Riley said. “It has always had a commitment not only to teaching and research, but to providing the highest level of quality care for the children in our community.”
The construction of the new preschool is part of UW’s $48 million project to renovate the original Human Ecology building and add an addition.
About half the funding for the campaign will come from private sources, like the Lehman family, Douthitt said, and the other half will be state-funded. The final decision on state funding for the project will be announced this spring.
Riley said Elliot Lehman invested in the laboratory preschool because he believes the research UW students and faculty are doing there is likely to have the biggest impact on the future.
“Elliot Lehman is a remarkable friend of the university,” Riley said. “And a remarkable businessman.”
Lehman was the former co-chief executive of Fel-Pro, a leading producer of engine and sealing products that was later sold to Federal-Mogul.
About 1,000 undergraduate students and 100 graduate students are enrolled in the School of Human Ecology, which offers various programs such as human development, family studies and community leadership.
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"The preschool started in the 1920s as a place to do observational research on children in their natural settings," Riley said.
Please tell me what the hell “natural settings” means. Are children zoo animals? The most natural setting for children under 6 is with their parents and relatives, not with horded-together, age-segregated peers.
$1 million dollars what a great investment in kids. Thank you Thank you and Thank you. This is one of the best daycare facillities in town and yes they do need a new building. What a timely gesture.
Why do they need a new building??? A little dust falls on the building, everybody cries “we need a new building!”