FARMINGTON — The University of Maine at Farmington has announced it has received a $38,495 grant from the Davis Family Foundation trustees for the UMF Sweatt-Winter Early Care and Education Center Improvement Plan project.
The grant will help fund a two-phase project for the Sweatt-Winter Center that will enhance the program and help renovate the center’s new home at 274 Front St.
The first phase of the project will concentrate on strengthening the existing program. Nature-based education and cutting edge, hands-on approaches designed around children’s interests and cooperative problem-solving will be modeled extensively. The advancements will be supported with new curriculum materials, an art studio and enhanced indoor classrooms and outdoor play spaces. This phase of the grant will help support these advanced approaches to early learning by funding staff training and professional development.
Phase two of the project will begin the visioning process for a new center to expand program offerings to the local community. A partnership of UMF faculty, staff, students and community members, facilitated by an architect, will help design the new center to support innovative early childhood education and expand the number of children, families and students served. It will also serve as a site for teacher training and conferences.
Housed in the heart of the UMF campus, the Sweatt-Winter Center has provided full-time care and education to children in Franklin County for more than 30 years. The center offers a safe, nurturing environment for children ages 2½ to 8. It is accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children — the world’s largest professional organization that sets and monitors standards for high quality early childhood education.
In addition, Sweatt-Winter serves as lab school for UMF education majors where best teaching practices are taught and demonstrated by on-site UMF faculty instructors. UMF preservice teachers spend several hours a week at the center observing and learning from mentor teachers and getting an early introduction to working with young children and the classroom environment.
Farmington building to be new home of UMF Sweatt-Winter Early Care and Education Center.
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