Thursday, May 4, 2023 | 4:20 p.m.
UNLV's preschool will soon be expanding to serve twice as many children each year after receiving a $10 million anonymous donation.
“Access to affordable, high-quality early childhood education sets the foundation for a lifetime of success," UNLV President Keith Whitfield said in a press release. "This transformative gift will dramatically expand operations at the preschool and make it possible for more families — including UNLV students — to experience Southern Nevada’s premier learning community.”
Ten new classrooms, four new shaded play areas, gardens outside each classroom and improved spaces for community events or training will be built using the money.
The UNLV/CSUN Preschool, which the donor’s spokesperson called “a hidden gem” to the Las Vegas community, will be able to serve 350 to 400 children with the new additions.
This is double the current capacity of the preschool at the Lynn Bennett Early Childhood Education Center and will alleviate the two-year waitlist of students wanting to enroll, according to the press release.
Construction will begin later this year, according to the university.
Officials at the preschool and Lynn Bennett Early Childhood Education Center say this upgrade will not only benefit the children with “more high-quality care,” but also provide more research opportunities for UNLV students.
Rickey McCurry, UNLV Foundation President, said that they are looking for more donors to help them reach their expansion goal of $18 million and “establish the LBECEC as the preeminent early childhood facility in Las Vegas.”
