NRC Montessori Preschool
	Location: Richmond, Virginia, USA
	Website: www.nrccafe.org
	Program Established: June 2006
	# of Children: 16	Ages Served: 2-5
	Immediate Needs: $30,000 to maintain the full day program. Funds to purchase a play structure. Grant writers, volunteers to seek applicable grants. Montessori materials.
	Contact Person: Salome Fernando
	Contact Information: nrcl@comcast.net
	The NRC is a grassroots, non-profit organization located in the east end of Richmond, Virginia in a neighborhood called Greater Fulton Hill (GFH). The center was established to provide community members with resources that are not yet in place in GFH. There is no preschool, no library, no adult education center, and no healthy cafe. Truancy, poverty, gun violence, domestic violence, and substance abuse are common obstacles found in the neighborhood. In an effort to provide the youngest citizens of this community with a healthy beginning, the NRC partnered with some local Montessorians to open a Montessori preschool in June 2006. The first summer "pilot program" was an overwhelming success! The preschool is a full-day program, 8:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m, Monday thru Friday. The preschool offers a quality Montessori education on a sliding-scale basis; we believe it to be the first in the nation to do so. There are currently 16 children enrolled. The preschool licensed by the Virginia Department of Social Services (VDSS). Montessori materials are used in the classroom, and the prepared environment is supported by two AMI-trained teachers. The NRC Montessori Preschool works not only to provide a high-quality education for the children, but also serves as a resource for the families. Parents and grand-parents are encouraged to come observe their child, and conferences are held at least twice a year. The program has partnered with United Way's Success by Six program to provide two parent education nights so far, and plans to host at least two more before the end of the summer. The parents of these children have been impressed and astonished to see what their children are capable of. Community members who have come to visit have been equally amazed at the level of responsibility and concentration they observe in the children. The preschool is an example of early-learning at its best.