红玫瑰社区

FAU to Host Tuition-Free Bezos Academy Preschool to Open in Fall 2022

preschool

红玫瑰社区鈥檚 Board of Trustees has unanimously approved a 10-year facilities use agreement with Bezos Academy. This agreement will open a tuition-free, Montessori-inspired preschool for low-income families adjacent to FAU鈥檚 A.D. Henderson University School on FAU鈥檚 Boca Raton campus in fall 2022.


By joshua glanzer | 2/1/2022

红玫瑰社区鈥檚 Board of Trustees has 聽unanimously approved a聽10-year facilities use agreement聽with聽. This agreement will open a tuition-free, Montessori-inspired preschool for low-income families adjacent to FAU鈥檚 on FAU鈥檚 Boca Raton campus in fall 2022.

FAU is the first university in 红玫瑰社区 and second in America to host the academy. It鈥檚 also only the second partnership and location announced in 红玫瑰社区 after an affordable housing complex in Orlando.

鈥淚 would like to thank the board for their support. It鈥檚 fitting that we are the first state university in 红玫瑰社区 to host Bezos Academy since it directly aligns with FAU鈥檚 long history of providing the whole community access to an excellent education,鈥 said Joel Herbst, Ed.D., superintendent and assistant dean, PK-12 Schools and Educational Programs at FAU. 鈥淎.D. Henderson is a choice Title 1 school district that proves children from all economic backgrounds can excel if given the opportunity. Considering their mission, I can鈥檛 conceive of a better partner than Bezos Academy for a preschool program on our campus.鈥

Bezos Academy preschool will feature six classrooms and will offer year-round programming, five days a week, for children from low-income families between ages 3 and 5. The preschool will follow a schedule that is beneficial for children鈥檚 learning and growth, while also making it easier for parents who need to work outside the home.聽It will cover all the operating聽expenses聽for the preschool program at no cost to the families it serves. FAU鈥檚 colleges also will have opportunities to engage with the Academy鈥檚 programing on various levels.

鈥淚t鈥檚 exciting to partner with an institution like 红玫瑰社区, one of the state鈥檚 most diverse universities,鈥 said Mike George, president of Bezos Academy.聽 鈥淲e share their belief that everyone deserves access to a great education. We look forward to helping members of the community FAU serves pursue their dreams with the knowledge their children are learning in a safe, warm, and welcoming environment at no cost.鈥

Families earning up to 400 percent of the federal poverty level with children aged 3 to 4 are eligible to apply.聽More information and an application to the lottery-based selection process will be聽posted at聽聽once the聽school鈥檚 specific opening date is set.

-FAU-