Since the early 1960s, the Kennedy Center has been providing quality early education services in Charlestown. Our Old Kent School site is our largest site providing Full Day, Half Day, Head Start, and After School services. It is located at 23 A Moulton Street in Charlestown. This site is licensed to serve 131 preschool children between the ages of 2.9 and 5 years. 

Our developmentally age-appropriate educational services offer the right combination of instructive play and academic focus for each age group served. The Kennedy Center uses Creative Curriculum, a child-centered educational program that is designed to offer growing young minds integrated math, science, and social study themes, literacy instruction, predictable classroom routines, time-tested instructional formats, and progressive skill training modules. TS Gold, the assessment tool used to track each child’s progress has a proven track record of providing reliable progress data that allows teachers to track each child’s developmental growth, share this critical information with parents and define progressive classroom activities that build on skills already learned. The Kennedy Center’s educational service design provides each child the opportunity to develop the skills needed to enter kindergarten fully prepared to succeed.

Some of the key growth areas addressed are:

Deductive Reasoning and Problem Solving

Team Work/Sharing and Working Independently

Positive Social Interactions and Effective Verbal Communication

Following Multistage Instructions and Task Completion

Listening Skills and Impulse Control

Full-Day services are offered for children between the ages of 2.9 and 5 years. Children receive up to ten (10) hours of preschool educational services. Effective September 2021 this program will operate Monday through Friday from the hours of 7:30 AM to 5:30 PM. and operates year-round. This service can be funded either privately, by voucher, or by EEC when the family meets the income eligibility. 

Head Start is a government-funded program for children whose families meet the income and residency requirements. Children receive six (6) hours of preschool educational services Monday through Friday from the hours of 8:00 AM to 1:30 PM. Head Start’s school year is from September through June. 

Head Start Supportive Services Provides:

Developmental Needs and Social/Emotional Needs Assessments

Speech, Developmental, Vision, Hearing and Dental Screenings

Play Therapy for Children That Have Experienced Trauma

Meaningful Social Interaction With Children/Adults

Nutritious Meals Served Daily

Who Is Eligible for Head Start

Department of Children and Family Supportive (DCF) services are provided for children that have an open case with the DCF.  Children receive ten (10) hours of preschool educational services Monday through Friday from the hours of 7:30 AM to 5:30 PM. This program operates year-round. This service is funded by EEC and DCF.

See our Parent Information section for more information.