A new preschool on the horizon In the fall of 2018, El Concilio (formerly the Hispanic American Council) felt a responsibility to address a need
Adrian Vazquez (right) with staff members, Sofia Ovalle and Juliana Hafner, in the new preschool classroom at El Concilio.
expressed by parents within
High-quality pre-K works to increase
opportunities with donors that align
the community.
the number of children in the
with what they care about most.
“Parents came to us saying we need childcare and we wanted to help and do more to make a positive impact on kids,” said Adrian Vazquez, executive director of El Concilio, a nonprofit, community-focused organization that seeks to help Latino residents support their families. “Not only did we want a safe space where families can leave their children, but also where they can start learning more at an early age.” Through research and extensive discussion among the board and community leaders, Escuelita Nuevo Horizonte (New Horizon Preschool) was born. The school, housed at El Concilio, will serve as the only fully bi-lingual, bicultural preschool in the Edison Neighborhood.
Equity through education
Latinx community who arrive ready for kindergarten, thus increasing
It takes a village
their chances of remaining on
“We identified a donor who has
track throughout their educational
supported education for young children
career and beyond. Not only are
throughout the community in a variety
the educational needs of children
of ways through their Donor Advised
addressed, but the model also meets
Fund,” says Joanna Donnelly Dales, vice
the cultural and language needs of
president of Donor Relations. “We felt
parents who previously have not been
they would appreciate learning about
able to access quality preschool in
El Concilio’s request and it didn’t take
their neighborhood.
long for the donor to agree this was a
“We hear our kids say they don’t feel part of the community or part of this country because they are labeled
perfect fit.” The fund was able to cover the full amount of the request, which was slightly more than $21,000.
Latino, Hispanic, or Brown, even
This success story is what sets KZCF
though they were born here and speak
Donor Advised Funds apart from those
the language,” Vazquez explains. “We
offered by other financial institutions.
want this program to give them an
It is one of the services made possible
opportunity to learn about their culture. through a team effort that makes an We want them to be proud of who they impact on donors as well as are, where they come from, and also be nonprofit partners.
Research shows that high-quality
proud of their community.”
La Escuelita Nuevo Horizonte is
preschool experiences benefit all
Once members of Kalamazoo
preparing to welcome 10 to 15
children, and children from traditionally
Community Foundation’s (KZCF)
three-year-olds this fall with hopes
vulnerable populations benefit most.
Community Investment (CI) team
of extending the program through
This two-year preschool model begins
became aware of El Concilio’s need for
the summer so the kids “never stop
to address some of the achievement
operating funds to open the preschool,
learning,” Vazquez says.
gaps that exist along racial lines,
they connected with the KZCF Donor
thus addressing the root cause of
Relations team for assistance. The
educational disparities seen in
CI team leverages a wide range
For more information about El Concilio’s community impact visit elconciliokzoo.org
later grades.
of resources and works to share SUMMER 2019
KALFOUND.ORG
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