Norfolk State Receives Head Start Grant

Funds will help Head Start teachers earn degrees

Norfolk, Va.—The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has awarded Norfolk State University a grant of nearly $500,000 to help Head Start teachers attain a bachelor’s degree in early childhood education. Awarded on a yearly basis, the grant could total $2.46 million to Norfolk State over a five-year period.

The grant will fund Project Vision, which partners Norfolk State with the STOP Organization Head Start program in Norfolk and the Office of Human Affairs Head Start/Early Head Start program in Newport News. Project Vision seeks to help 150 Head Start teachers earn degrees. With a degree, those teachers will help improve the quality and long-term effectiveness of program services to Head Start children and their families. The teachers will become highly qualified to work with the children on their reading, literacy, mathematics and cognitive skills.

Head Start is a national program that promotes school readiness for four- and five-year olds. Early Head Start serves children from birth to three years old. Both programs engage parents in their children’s learning and help them make progress toward their educational, literacy and employment goals.

Norfolk State University, founded in 1935, is one of the largest Historically Black Colleges and Universities and is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award associate, baccalaureate, masters, and doctorate degrees.* In addition, the School of Education is accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education.

For more information, call the Office of Communications and Marketing at 823-8373.

*Contact the Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, Georgia 30033-4097 or call 404-679-4500 for questions about the accreditation of Norfolk State University.