Duolingo Commits $1 Million to Early Childhood Education in Pittsburgh
20 Septiembre 2023 - 7:00AM
Duolingo (NASDAQ:DUOL), the world’s leading mobile
learning platform, today announced a $1 million per year investment
as part of the “Duolingo Early Learners First” program. The new
program aims to expand access to quality child care for the
Pittsburgh community. As part of the multi-year commitment,
Duolingo will partner with local child care providers to stabilize
their operations, with the goal of fully funding more high-quality
child care seats for local families. This program builds upon the
company’s mission to improve access to education and be a good
neighbor in its local community.
The child care industry is under immense strain
nationwide which only worsened during the pandemic. A recent study
from Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children reveals the ongoing
impact of the child care crisis across the state, citing that less
than 50% of child care in Pennsylvania meets high-quality
standards. According to Cara Ciminillo, Executive Director of
Trying Together, a Pittsburgh-based nonprofit that supports the
work of early childhood in the region, “Child care teachers earn
less than $12.50 an hour, which is under $26,000 annually. Families
can't afford to pay any more and child care teachers can't make any
less."
“We’re excited to help create a sustainable early
learning ecosystem in Pittsburgh to ensure that our local community
has the tools necessary to thrive, which includes access to quality
child care,” said Kendra Ross, Head of Social Impact at Duolingo.
“Whether it’s making sure everyone has access to the best
education, mitigating the child care crisis here in our East
Liberty neighborhood, or helping to remove barriers to opportunity
for hard-working families, these investments will spur our
community’s growth for years to come.”
Today’s announcement kicks off phase one of funding
to help local child care programs increase their program capacity,
staffing and support for families. In addition to the grants,
selected providers will also receive business coaching assistance
from community-based partner(s) to help stabilize their business.
In subsequent years, early learning programs will receive a grant
allocated towards tuition-free seats for qualified families.
“The Early Excellence Project is excited to work
alongside Duolingo, Candor & Co Consulting, and Trying Together
in our quest to narrow the opportunity gap children from
underserved areas face in early childhood education. We believe the
Early Learners First program is a fantastic step towards bringing
equity into early childhood education in Pittsburgh,” says Lyasha
Bishop-Gaines, Executive Director of The Early Excellence
Project.
For more information on the Duolingo Early Learners
First program, visit the Duolingo blog.
About Duolingo
Duolingo (www.duolingo.com) is the most popular
language-learning platform and the most downloaded education app
worldwide. The app makes learning languages, math and music fun
with bite-sized lessons that feel like playing a game. The
company's mission is to develop the best education in the world and
make it universally available.
Press Contacts:For
Duolingopress@duolingo.com
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