TWO LOCAL FAMILIES JOIN 50,000 OTHERS IN CENTRAL PARK, NEW YORK FOR THE
CHILDREN’S ULTIMATE BLOCK PARTY EVENT: Guests Witnessed the Power of Play
CHILDREN’S ULTIMATE BLOCK PARTY EVENT: Guests Witnessed the Power of Play
Barb Burrows (left) owner of The Goddard School
located in Edwardsville shares a moment with Brent
and Emily Bates and their children while at the
Children's Ultimate Block Party Event
in Central Park, New York.
located in Edwardsville shares a moment with Brent
and Emily Bates and their children while at the
Children's Ultimate Block Party Event
in Central Park, New York.
Edwardsville, IL , Oct. 11, 2010 – Two local families recently joined The Goddard School Systems and 50,000 guests at a national event in the Bandshell area of New York City’s Central Park for the Play for Tomorrow’s Ultimate Block Party, aimed at changing the way children and their families think about play. Barbara Burrows, owner of The Goddard School located in Edwardsville and her family, met the Edwardsville family, Brent and Emily Bates and their children, who attend The Goddard School of Edwardsville, for the big event held on Sunday, Oct. 3.
The Bates family won a trip for four, to the Play for Tomorrow’s Ultimate Block Party when they donated money for the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Illinois at The Goddard School in Edwardsville this summer. The family traveled to New York to participate with their children in making Lego creations, jumbo cardboard box villages, Crayola sidewalk chalk art, Disney performances and more while in the heart of New York City.
The organizing team of the event - Play for Tomorrow - joined forces in hosting the event with The Goddard School and non-profit organizations, government agencies and large corporations to kick-off a powerful new, global movement designed to recognize and celebrate the power of play for learning.
"Playful learning has always been at the heart of the curriculum at The Goddard School located in Edwardsville," states owner Barbara Burrows. "It's been clear to us all along that children learn best when new skills are presented to them in a playful and engaging way, and now there is a whole body of research to back us up."
Play for Tomorrow is the consortium behind the "playful learning" movement. The Ultimate Block Party is the premier event in a national education movement, co-founded by Kathy Hirsh-Pasek, Ph.D, Professor of Psychology at Temple University in Philadelphia, who believes that how we play as children helps us succeed in school and shapes who we become as adults. "The workforce of 2040 is in our preschools today," says Dr. Hirsh-Pasek, "and we must ensure that, as a nation, we are well equipped to thrive in our global economy.” Together with its partners, Play for Tomorrow is committed to building a public groundswell for the importance of play in fostering lifelong learning and to help enact change in policy and education.
"The Goddard School has been selected as the exclusive national preschool sponsor of Ultimate Block Party because of its long-standing commitment to the importance of play in early childhood education," states Sue Adair, Director of Education and Quality Assurance for Goddard Systems, Inc. As an activity sponsor at the Central Park event, Goddard invited children and families to join in fun-filled, playful learning activities designed to make learning an engaging and hands-on experience.
"Many of the critical life skills that contribute to success in the workplace are actually developed on the playground and in the playroom," says Burrows. "Play time helps children develop creative and problem-solving abilities, encourages them to work cooperatively and builds their self-confidence. These are the skills that we need in our government and business leaders of tomorrow."
To learn more about playful learning and The Goddard School located in Edwardsville, parents are encouraged to drop in for a tour or call Barbara Burrows directly to arrange a personal appointment at (618) 692-9464 or visit online at www.goddardschool.com/blockparty.
Located at 801 South Arbor Vitae off of Plum Street in The Park at Plum Creek development, The Goddard School located in Edwardsville opened its doors in February 2009 and since has attracted more than 160 families.
The Goddard School located in Edwardsville is part of Goddard Systems, Inc. Recently named #1 Childcare Franchise in the United States, by Entrepreneur magazine, for the eighth consecutive year (January 2009) and one of the Top 200 Franchise Systems (in worldwide sales), by Franchise Times, for the second consecutive year (October 2008); Goddard Systems, Inc. (GSI) is expanding The Goddard School® network throughout the United States. Headquartered in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, GSI currently licenses 320+ franchised schools in 37 states.
For more information about The Goddard School located ’in Edwardsville, call (618) 692-9464.
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