Little Red School House Announces $500,000 Gift from Bill and Melinda Gates

LYNNWOOD, Wash. -- Little Red School House is the recipient of a $500,000 grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The funds provide the lead gift in the agency's $2.5 million capital campaign, "The Children's Village, A Vision in the Making," to secure and renovate a 21,000 square foot facility in South Everett.

"This gift provides both affirmation and impetus to move forward. It represents the most significant gift received from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation in the County to date," Steven Cobb, Little Red School House Board President, said. "It re-enforces our belief that this is an exceptional program designed to ensure children have the opportunity to grow and develop their full potential."

This facility will become an interactive Children's Village housing a number of children's services, including Little Red's program for developmentally delayed or disabled children, age birth to three. The Children's Village will allow development and integration of programs from a diverse group of agencies as well as simplify the process for families to access and utilize the early intervention system. Agencies will join together to provide an innovative playspace with imaginative settings that encourage children to interact with one another. Other services include high quality childcare services in a multi-cultural environment; a story lady; bookmobile and multi-language activities that celebrate cultural diversity and promote English acquisition.

The programs will also respond to needs of parents and families in a common setting. One building will be dedicated to counseling, workshops, parenting programs and conferences offering a wide range of opportunities for training and development. Working together, Little Red School House and other agencies will create a "natural environment" that entices children of differing abilities to learn positively from each other. More than 8,000 children and their families will be served by The Children's Village annually.

The Gates Foundation gift sets the stage for the formal October 7th Hard Hat Campaign Kickoff event to be held on-site at The Children's Village from 3 to 7 pm. For more information about Little Red Schoolhouse visit the web site.