Press Release
April 20, 2009
For more information:
Todd Scott
Himmelrich PR
410.528.5400
todd@himmelrich.com
PNC Foundation Awards $394,000 Grant to Maryland Science Center
One of 10 science centers to receive support of early childhood education
BALTIMORE, April 21, 2009 – The Maryland Science Center has received a two-year, $394,000 grant from the PNC Foundation, the giving arm of PNC Bank, to support programming for underserved preschool children, announced Maryland Science Center President and CEO Van Reiner. The award is part of PNC Grow Up Great, a ten-year, $100 million initiative to help ensure that children arrive at school ready to learn. This grant is part of a new corporate-wide initiative announced today; PNC Grow Up Great with Science. The Maryland Science Center received one of 14 PNC Foundation grants distributed in 12 markets.
The Maryland Science Center will use the PNC Grow Up Great funding to provide program support to four Baltimore City Head Start centers: Herring Run Head Start, Metro Delta Head Start, St. Jerome’s Head Start, and St. Francis Xavier. Through PNC Grow Up Great, the Maryland Science Center will supply classroom activities to each of the centers, free admission to The Kids’ Room for children, and training to Head Start instructors who wish to bring science into their classroom curriculum. The Maryland Science Center program will benefit more than 1,000 preschoolers.
“The Maryland Science Center is extremely grateful for this gift,” said Reiner. “It’s through the generosity of partners like PNC that the Maryland Science Center can continue to fulfill its mission of providing access and activities to children that spark the interest in science and encourage a lifetime of learning.”
“Helping to ensure that children arrive at school ready to learn is an economic impartive for our society,” said Lou Cestello, PNC Regional President, Baltimore. “For every dollar spent on early childhood education, society saves as much as $16 by offsetting the cost of remedial education, the impact of drug use, teen pregnancy and incarceration. We believe this is a sound and solid community investment.”
PNC Grow Up Great is a 10-year, $100 million investment in school readiness to help prepare children from birth to age five for success in school and life. Founded by The PNC Financial Services Group, Grow Up Great is a comprehensive corporate-based school readiness program that provides leadership, advocacy, resources and volunteers to assist parents, caregivers and communities in their efforts to increase the potential for young children to succeed.
About the Maryland Science Center
The mission of the Maryland Science Center is to stimulate and cultivate awareness, interest and understanding of science through exciting interactive experiences and educational programming. More than 500,000 people visit the Inner Harbor location each year, where they learn about the Earth science and the environment, space, physics and human body. The Maryland Science Center reaches an additional 100,000 Maryland residents each year with its interactive programs delivered at schools, community centers, and public events.