Community Vision’s AT Lab awarded Childswork Learning Center a Certificate of Completion for its inclusive practices development work. The certificate recognizes Childswork’s one year of work in this area.
Childswork Learning Center is a non-profit preschool and childcare center in Southeast Portland. They expressed their gratitude for being able to partner with the AT Lab:
“Your work with Childswork Learning Center has not only impacted our staff and current students but will continue to impact the children we teach and the families we welcome into our community for years to come. Our work with [the AT Lab team] kept us accountable and continued our progress in being a fully inclusive center on our two campuses which serve over 120 children.”
Childswork has participated in Multnomah County’s Preschool for All (PFA) program since its inception. PFA connects 3- and 4-year-olds in Multnomah County to free, culturally responsive, inclusive preschool experiences.
Childswork contracted with the AT Lab to help expand their PFA slots. This means increasing Childswork’s ability to support children with learning disabilities, developmental disabilities, and behavioral challenges. The AT Lab team assisted with the development of two pilot classrooms. They also did trainings, workshops, and had collaborative meetings with Childswork staff. Additionally, the Lab helped design a framework that expands Childswork’s ability to support children with identified and unidentified disabilities in all of their classrooms across both their campuses.
This work includes creating:
- Safe, intuitive, sensory-balanced environments
- Predictable routines
- Explicit instruction
“The major achievements of the work with Community Vision’s AT Lab are the focus on Universal Design for Learning, which is intuitive and accessible to all; the development of a three-year roadmap for reaching our goals to help all children belong and succeed; and the identification and support of two pilot classrooms,” Childswork Learning Center wrote in recent a letter of support.
Childswork plans to work with the AT Lab next year to continue to expand inclusion and support for children with disabilities.
