For Immediate Release: Jan. 13, 2008

Contact: Brandy Radey, 303-672-4355

DENVER PRESCHOOL PROGRAM SURPASSES FIRST-YEAR GOALS, ENTERS 2009 WITH SIGNIFICANT MOMENTUM

Community outreach campaign helps drive enrollment of more than 4,500 children and 200 preschool sites in less than a year

DENVER – In just nine months after launching a comprehensive community outreach campaign to increase enrollment numbers, the Denver Preschool Program (DPP) announced today that it has exceeded its ambitious 2008 year-end goals for both preschool provider and family enrollment.

As of today, DPP has enrolled 4,544 children, a mark that tops its original goal of 3,800 by 20%. By last June, DPP had already met its provider-enrollment goal of 50, and today, 102 preschool providers with 207 sites across the city are participating in DPP’s quality improvement program. These enrollment figures reflect impressive growth against the initial goals set for 2008 and are particularly inspiring when compared to program enrollment in January of last year when DPP only had 66 children enrolled and 27 providers.

“We are incredibly proud of what we were able to accomplish in our first year,” said James Mejía, chief executive officer for DPP. “Based on our first full-year results, we’ve generated significant momentum and proven that our message about the importance of preschool is resonating with Denver families. With DPP’s dual focus on tuition assistance for families and quality-improvement grants for enrolled providers, we’re forging a new model that is already proving its merits.” Mejía continued, “But we are not resting on our laurels. We continue to be as focused as ever on highlighting the importance of early childhood education and bringing the benefits DPP provides to even more families and providers in 2009.”

DPP is the result of one-twelfth of one percent of sales tax revenue set aside by a 2006 ballot initiative and gives financial assistance to City and County of Denver families and quality improvement grants to preschool providers. In only its first full year, DPP provided $4.5 million in tuition credits to Denver families, as well as $1.25 million in provider grants.

“Our success to date has clearly been a team effort. With DPP-affiliated providers, partners and advisors all striving for the same objective of educating the youngest of learners, DPP’s promise is quickly becoming a reality,” said Pamela Harris, program and policy director for DPP. “After spending our first year laying the groundwork for enduring success, we are even better positioned going into 2009 to deliver on our mission and amplify our role as an advocate for the benefits of preschool and parent engagement in early childhood education.”

One such effort to expand DPP’s mission in 2009 is its new Preschool One Book, One Denver initiative, a citywide preschool reading program that mirrors the Department of Cultural Affairs’ successful adult program.

“Consistent with DPP’s overall mission, Preschool One Book, One Denver similarly aims to raise the importance of early childhood education, and more specifically early literacy development and the importance of parent engagement in this critical learning process,” Mejía said. “DPP will continue to be a resource for early childhood education, but with Preschool One Book, One Denver, we can now introduce the concept of parents acting as their children’s first teachers.”

The 2009 selection for Preschool One Book, One Denver is “A Chair for My Mother,” by Vera B. Williams. The three-week campaign will include community book readings at Denver Public Library locations and booksellers, a five-stop provider book tour, as well as a closing event at The Children’s Museum of Denver on Feb. 13. Please visit www.dpp.org to learn more about this exciting new program for DPP and the city of Denver.

About Denver Preschool Program
The Denver Preschool Program (DPP) is the result of a voter-approved ballot initiative, passed in November 2006, to increase the number of children attending a high-quality preschool program before entering kindergarten. DPP provides parents living in the City and County of Denver with a tuition credit to use at the preschool of their choice and provides quality improvement grants to preschool providers. DPP is open and voluntary for all Denver children in their last year of preschool before kindergarten and includes all licensed preschool providers who agree to participate in a quality improvement system. For more information about DPP or how to enroll your child or preschool provider, please visit www.dpp.org or call 303-595-4DPP (4377).