Learn • Play • Serve
In 1967, the Children’s Development Academy’s founders were driven by the belief that the best way to eradicate generational poverty was to start with the children. Early childhood education is essential for a brighter future for all kids. Today, the CDA gives young children the very best chance to read on grade level by the third grade, graduate from high school, attend college, and achieve other life-altering goals.
Learn · Play · Serve will strengthen our ability to work toward our vision of Best Start · Brightest Future · Every Child.
Check out the video below for a construction update from the CDA’s Executive Director Sheila Sillitto and our partner Holly Ranney, Executive Director of Sunshine on a Ranney Day.
Room to Learn
Learn • Play • Serve will double our capacity to serve one year-olds by adding a new toddler classroom. We currently operate only one classroom for toddlers, which feeds into 3 two year-old classrooms and creates an enrollment backlog for the toddler age group. It is common for families on our toddler wait list to be unable to enroll at the CDA until their child turns two. The CDA will convert our large Training Room into a second toddler classroom, which will open 12 additional enrollment slots and allow a more rapid entry for waitlisted families.
Room to Play
Learn • Play • Serve will enhance the safety of our campus by replacing aging playground equipment. Outdoor play is crucial to a child’s development and is an integral part of our curriculum that reflects our commitment to holistically serving each child. Dating from 2006, our major play structures will be replaced with new equipment, along with rubber pour-in-place surfacing, that meets or exceeds American Society for Testing and Materials playground safety standards.
Room to Serve
Learn • Play • Serve will expand programmatic capacity by creating a new Community Room that will be used by the CDA for new and existing family literacy programs and workshops, teacher trainings, and meeting space. Exponentially increasing this project’s benefit to the broader community, the new Community Room will provide access to NEW programmatic and meeting space for 3 nonprofits in our building: Family Promise of North Fulton/Dekalb, HomeStretch, and the Groveway Community Group.
By the Numbers
100% Increase in Toddler Capacity
10% Increase in Classroom Space
11% Increase in Qualified Teaching Staff
200% Increase in Program Space
200+ Children have access to safe, age-appropriate playground equipment
12 new families have life-changing access to affordable early education
To learn more about Learn • Play • Serve, please contact:
Sheila Sillitto
CEO & Executive Director
770-992-4339 ext. 202
ssillitto@cdakids.org
Michelle & Doug Higgins
Campaign Co-Chairs
678-965-7330
doug_higgins@ucbi.com