Pacific Oaks College & Children's School Receives $225,000 Grant From The Ralph M. Parsons Foundation

PASADENA, Calif., April 23, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Pacific Oaks College & Children's School, one of the nation's leading pioneers in the study and application of early childhood education and human development, will be able to further advance its mission this year thanks to a $225,000 grant from The Ralph M. Parsons Foundation. The unrestricted award will be used for a variety of purposes including new classroom technology and providing more academic support for non-traditional students.

News of the grant reached Pacific Oaks just weeks after its new president, Dr. Ezat Parnia, arrived on campus. "Speaking on behalf of the entire Pacific Oaks academic community, we are delighted to once again have the support of the Parsons Foundation," said Dr. Parnia. "Because of their endorsement of our mission built on the foundations of social justice, we will be able to fund focused projects designed to enhance what we do best: deliver a transformative education to working adult students of all backgrounds and experiences."

Parsons Foundation President & CEO Wendy Garen added, "Since our first contribution in 1982, The Parsons Foundation has invested more than $1 million in Pacific Oaks.  Pacific Oaks continues to be a leader in early childhood education and training for human services professionals. We were pleased to make this recent major grant, which demonstrates our belief in the quality of programs provided at Pacific Oaks."

The Parsons Foundation grant represents another achievement in what is shaping up to be the most successful year in recent memory for Pacific Oaks College. After chartering the nation's newest school of education last summer, the college witnessed fall and spring enrollment cycles that far exceeded previous years.

"It's an exciting time to be a part of Pacific Oaks," said Dr. Parnia. "We are privileged to serve a growing number of working adults who are looking to our unique curriculum to help further their careers in a purposeful way. It means a great deal to us to build and strengthen partnerships with organizations like the Parsons Foundation to support this cause."

About The Ralph M. Parsons Foundation:
Founded in 1961, The Ralph M. Parsons Foundation strives to support and facilitate the work of the region's best nonprofit organizations, recognizing that many of those in need today will go on to shape the future of Southern California, to define it, redefine it, and help it set and achieve new goals.

About Pacific Oaks College & Children's School:
Pacific Oaks College & Children's School has played a crucial role in the development of early childhood education in the United States for more than half a century. Founded in 1959, Pacific Oaks College is dedicated to the fundamental principles of inclusion, social justice, and the valuing of every human being. The college's faculty advances an innovative curriculum that is effective with adult students who are returning to classroom to gain additional competencies in early childhood, human development, and teacher credentialing. Pacific Oaks is well-known for its leadership in andragogy and for its ground-breaking anti-bias curriculum, which has been implemented in schools throughout the country and is often required reading in early childhood teacher training courses. Founded in 1945, Pacific Oaks Children's School is widely recognized today as one of the finest preschools in the nation. For more information, visit www.pacificoaks.edu and www.pacificoakschildrensschool.org.

In 2010, Pacific Oaks became an affiliate of the nonprofit TCS Education System (TCS ES), which features a network of fellow nonprofit institutions, each backed by a model of education that prepares socially responsible professionals in applied fields such as education, psychology, and law. Other TCS ES affiliates include The Chicago School of Professional Psychology, and The Santa Barbara & Ventura Colleges of Law. Learn more at www.tcsedsystem.edu.

MEDIA CONTACT: Matthew Nehmer
(312) 329-6672
[email protected]

SOURCE Pacific Oaks College & Children's School