FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Dayspring, Inc. launches $3 million Capital Campaign to Create State-of-the-Art Educational Facility

Dayspring facility represents major step in providing innovative, high-quality supplemental learning opportunities for underserved students in Baltimore City.

November 25 Baltimore, MD--Dayspring, Inc. begins a capital campaign on December 6 to renovate their 10,000 sq. ft. educational facility in the Park Heights community.

The center is part of the Dayspring’s Visions for Education™ initiative, which focuses on underserved children in Baltimore City. The project aims to improve schooling outcomes while addressing children’s developmental needs. Ultimately, the Visions initiative will develop programs that serve as models for educating children who have not traditionally had access to high-quality educational settings.

The newly refurbished Dayspring center will operate year-round and serve 100 school-age children. Included in the facility’s high-tech learning environment will be a science and math lab, technology and visual arts studio, teaching kitchen, music and recording studio, community library, and performing arts space. With the support of scientists and technology professionals,
students will participate in research-based programs that strengthen basic as well as higher-order skills. Children will also engage in visual and performing arts activities under the supervision of artisans from various academic disciplines. In addition to programming for children, the center will sponsor professional development opportunities for teachers of diverse student populations and will host year-round outreach and cultural events for families and community residents.

Founded in 1982, Dayspring is a non-profit Christian organization that has a reputation for cutting-edge, research-based approaches to education. Dayspring supports the child’s spiritual, moral, social, and emotional development alongside academic development. As a testing ground for innovative teaching and learning, the new facility will offer new perspectives in current debates on education reform.

Dayspring’s approach to supporting high achievement is grounded in current research that shows that schooling, while vital, is not sufficient to support high academic achievement for low income and ethnic minority children. Without enriched learning and development opportunities beyond the regular school day, many scholars and educators agree that there is little hope for closing the achievement gap that exists between children from different racial and economic
groups. The Dayspring facility promises to increase access to such opportunities for large numbers of children attending struggling schools in Baltimore.

“Our Visions for Education initiative embodies our belief that the academic success of children in our community is directly related to their access to high quality educational settings that are intellectually rich, experientially relevant, and staffed by knowledgeable, competent and caring individuals,” says Dr. Linda Gorham, Dayspring, Inc. founder and president. “Visions for Education has been designed to achieve these ideals as well as to demonstrate ways in which they can be achieved in schools and community-based programs.”

Groundbreaking is expected to occur in December 2010.

Dayspring currently operates an education resource center that provides science, art, and technology afterschool programs and education resources for children, parents, and teachers.

The Visions for Education Resource Center is located at 5351 Park Heights Avenue.

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Contact:
Kit Hughes
Resource Development Associate
Dayspring, Inc.
410-664-0907