READING, Pa. — A new chapter is beginning for dozens of families in Reading’s Sixth Ward, where early education, community collaboration, and economic development now intersect, inside a building on the GoggleWorks campus.
The Berks County Intermediate Unit (BCIU) officially opened its first-ever early learning center in this part of the city, a milestone moment celebrated by families, educators, and elected officials.
“This is our opening, our dedication ceremony for our two Head Start classrooms,” said Christi Weitzel, assistant director of Early Childhood Programs at BCIU.
The center includes two full classrooms, a playground, a large group instruction room, and office space. It will serve 34 children in the Sixth Ward, with services rooted in Head Start’s mission to level the playing field from the very start of a child’s education.
“This all came to fruition starting last year,” Weitzel added. “We just moved in this August.”
But the project’s significance goes beyond education. Pennsylvania’s Secretary of Community and Economic Development, Rick Siger, described the center as a key part of workforce development in the region.
“Having access to high-quality child care enables folks to join the workforce, to advance their careers, to fill some of the great jobs we’re working hard to create here in Berks County and across Pennsylvania,” Siger said.
The ribbon-cutting brought together local and state leaders, including state Sen. Judy Schwank and Jim Boscov, chairman of Our City Reading, one of the organizations involved in making the center a reality.
“I’m particularly touched,” Boscov said. “My late wife was a teacher for BCIU, and I know the good work that they do. In changing the life of a kid, you change the life of a family, and you change communities.”
Schwank emphasized the lasting value of the Head Start model:
“Head Start is a proven program. Nationally, we know those kids go on to graduate, to get careers, and they uplift the entire community.”