Belmont University today announced plans to launch Little Bruins Preschool, a new faith-based early childhood education initiative slated to open later this year. Located in a Belmont-owned facility on 12th Avenue South, the preschool will provide a nurturing learning environment for up to 39 children ages 3-5. The preschool intends to serve families of Belmont employees, neighborhood residents and those served by The Store, a nonprofit founded by Brad Paisley and Kimberly Williams-Paisley on Belmont's campus to combat food insecurity.
"Our vision is to create a model for early childhood education that focuses on whole-child development — cognitive, social, emotional and spiritual," said Belmont University President Greg Jones. “The preschool will leverage Belmont's unique strengths, including our dedicated education faculty, health sciences programs and renowned arts and music offerings. We believe this initiative will also eventually provide practical learning opportunities for Belmont students in those programs.”
The Little Bruins Preschool will be fully integrated into Belmont's infrastructure, benefiting from the University's resources, facilities and support services. Moreover, it will allow the University to live out its values of faith, service to others and belonging in new ways.
Research consistently shows the lifelong impact of pre-K, from boosting school readiness to increasing college attendance. Little Bruins Preschool embodies Belmont's commitment to transforming lives through the power of education, now from the earliest years.
Contingent upon receiving the appropriate approvals, Little Bruins intends to open in fall/winter 2024. The admissions process and timeline are still being finalized, with additional information expected to be released later this summer.