Early Childhood Education Programs

Mission Statement

The Prairie Band Potawatomi Early Childhood Education Center is committed to providing quality services, which assure a seamless system of care and education for children, families, staff and the community.

Philosophy

A child can best benefit from a comprehensive interdisciplinary program. The overall learning experiences of the child are considered with the entire family and community interlinked as partners in his/her progress. The child's language and culture are respected and reflected in the learning environment and interactions. Parents are recognized as the child's most important teachers and contributors to his/her growth and development.

About the Center

What began in 1982 as a grassroots effort by some Prairie Band Potawatomi tribal members has turned into one of the most successful Native American Child Care Education programs in the country. Ben-no-tteh Wigwam (House of the Child), the name of the center located at 15380 K Road, Mayetta, KS 66509, has been recognized for its high quality programs in child care and headstart. It is nationally accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children and was selected as one of seven Native American programs in the nation to receive the prestigious Brazelton Touchpoints grants award in 2002.

What makes the center stand out is that it not only provides a needed service for the Potawatomi community but it does so by integrating Potawatomi culture into its curriculum on a daily basis.

The center provides comprehensive services to children in the following areas: childcare for children six weeks to 8 years old; early headstart services for income-eligible families of expectant mothers or infants and toddlers, birth to age 3; headstart services for income-eligible children 3 to 5 years old, and their families; and early intervention programs like health screenings and special-needs assessments.

The surrounding community has also been actively involved with Ben-no-tteh Wigwam. Collaborative efforts with school agencies and health providers like the Prairie Band Potawatomi Interagency Coordinating Council/Health Advisory Committee and the Royal Valley Early Childhood Special Education Program have given the Center credibility and prestige and has helped school and health organizations to target serving the Native American population.

Through the continual utilization of Native American traditions combined with programs in education, the well-being of each child should be realized. The long-term commitment that the PBPN is showing through the Early Childhood Education Center should lead to serving future generations for years to come and making for productive and healthy tribal people.

For more information, please call 785.966.2527or send inquiries to:

PBPN Early Childhood Education Center
15380 K Road
Mayetta, KS 66509