Mission Statement
The mission of Joyce Preschool is to provide children from diverse ethnic, linguistic, and economic backgrounds with developmentally and culturally appropriate preparation for success in school and lifelong learning.
Impact and Programs
Accomplishments
In the past school year, 100% of Joyce Preschool graduates were assessed as ready for kindergarten, as compared to 72% of all Minneapolis kindergarteners and 36% of kindergarten students from Spanish-speaking homes. 95% of Joyce families gained knowledge and skills to support their child's school readiness and to navigate educational and community systems. Joyce Preschool continued to incorporate current best practices in early childhood education and to document its program. In 2014, the school was re-accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), part of only 12% of early childcare centers in Minnesota to receive accreditation.
Current Goals
Joyce Preschool's goals are:
1. Students are "Prepared for school".
2. Parents gain knowledge and skills to support children entering elementary school.
3. The Joyce model is documented, honed, and shared with other programs and the early childhood education community.
4. Joyce influences the skills of teachers in development to broaden its impact.
Community or Constituency Served
In our core preschool program, one-third of our population is Latino families where the home language is Spanish. Most are recent immigrant families and nearly all fall below poverty guidelines and require scholarships to attend. An additional third of our population is bilingual families, coming from a variety of socio-economic backgrounds. The remaining third of our population is English-speaking families seeking a cultural immersion and second language opportunity. Currently, over half of our families receive scholarship assistance.
Geographic Area Served
Our direct service area is primarily south and central Minneapolis, with additional families coming from other parts of the city and some inner ring suburbs.
