Little Lions Child

Where Students Become Teachers

In September, UAFS announced an agreement with the Arkansas Department of Human Services to build and staff an early childhood education center on campus. Initial funding from the state is $1.1 million.

In the spring of 2021 UAFS first proposed a partnership with the Arkansas Division of Child Care and Early Childhood Education to provide child care services for the campus community.

“The UAFS Little Lions Child Development Center will serve 42 children from birth to age 3,” explained Dr. Shelli Henehan (above), professor, assessment coordinator, and director of Early Childhood Education at UAFS. She was the lead in developing this partnership.

“I truly believe this center will be transformative, as it will include collaborations among multiple programs in the College of Health, Education and Human Sciences,” she said. “We are so grateful for this funding from the Division of Child Care and Early Childhood Education and the ability to provide the highest quality of care for our youngest learners.”

The $1.1 million from the state will pay for the renovation of the Echols Building. Located on the southeast corner of the UAFS campus, with convenient access to parking, age-appropriate play spaces, and both interior hallway and exterior doors, the location is a perfect fit.

Student surveys in 2016 and 2019 revealed the high need for reliable child care, with most respondents stating child care greatly affected their pursuit of a degree.

Dr. Dean Cantu, Dean of the College of Health, Education, and Human Science, noted the new child care center will provide students in that college with educational opportunities to enhance and enrich the learning experiences in their programs.

“To be certain, the UAFS Little Lions Child Development Center will serve as a multidiscipline nexus of authentic learning opportunities for students in our programs of study, from Education and Nursing to Dental Hygiene and Social Work,” he said. The center will also play an essential role in our Early Childhood Education program as a true laboratory for teaching and learning, which serves to foster interdisciplinary and community collaboration.”

Students Get Fuel for Thought

Students who live in the Sebastian Commons apartments had a little help to“Fill the Fridge,” thanks to a partnership between the Dave Stevens Lion Pride Pantry, the LionHeart student organization, and Antioch for Youth & Family.

On the first weekend students were on campus, every apartment received 60-70 pounds of perishable and nonperishable groceries to start the semester with healthful food in the fridge and the pantry.

Among the perishable items were milk, eggs, meat, and fresh produce. Pantry-stable foods like peanut butter, pasta, pasta sauce, and canned fruit and soup also were delivered.

Antioch founder and driving force Charolette Tidwell, ‘74, explained the thinking behind the program: “The goal is to build momentum with food pantry knowledge and utilization, improve diets with nutritious food, and build community effort on college campuses.”

More food will be delivered on the first Tuesday of each month, said Kara Crowley, UAFS Coordinator for Student Activities and Civic Engagement.

“Through this event, we hope to draw attention to the resources we have in the community and on campus for students, no matter if they live on campus or not. ‘Fill the Fridge’ is a launching point for students to visit our own food pantry, knowing that it is a resource for all UAFS students,” Crowley said