Office of the Governor
The Executive Office on Early Learning is part of the Office of the Governor. Visit the Governor's website to learn more about the office.
Letter from the Director, 9/5/2014
Aloha,
EOEL, on behalf of the state, is excited to be applying for a new federal grant to create preschool opportunities in Hawaii.
The U.S. Departments of Education and Health and Human Services will be jointly administering a grant program that recognizes the need for high-quality preschool programs and their role in helping children achieve significant, positive short- and long-term outcomes, the competition will support efforts to build, develop, and expand such programs. The goal is to increase access to prekindergarten programs for children whose families make below 200% of the federal poverty level. Click here for more information on the grant competition.
Hawaii is one of 15 states and Puerto Rico – those with small or no State-funded preschool programs – that are eligible to apply for a federal preschool development grant. Hawaii could receive up to $10 million a year for four years. We will also be targeting ways to enhance and build a quality workforce as part of our application, and working with grant writers funded through the Castle Foundation.
The deadline for applications is Oct. 14, 2014, and funding will be made available by Dec. 31, 2014. As we work on our state’s application, we would like to hear your ideas. Please click here for a form you can use to communicate your input to us.
Sincerely,
GG Weisenfeld, Ed.D.
Director
Pre-K Matters
You could probably guess that sending a child to early learning program results in better kindergarten readiness, improved vocabulary and enhanced reading skills. But did you know that the benefits of pre-kindergarten go far beyond their school years into their adult lives?
The Hawai'i P-3 Initiative
A child's early years are critical to establishing a strong foundation for education. The Hawai'i P-3 Initiative serves as a great example of collaboration between public and private providers that provides a cohesive continuum of experiences for children.