Gaithersburg's Kiddie Academy Earns Scholarship, Accreditation

GAITHERSBURG, MD — Namita Shah, local resident and owner of Kiddie Academy of Gaithersburg, was recently awarded $2,500 in scholarship money to be granted to an enrolled student as part of a nationwide "Act of Kindness" campaign.

Shah was among 10 franchise owners and winners winners across the U.S. distinguished with scholarship prizes from among nearly 200 participating academies.

With kindness being a cornerstone of its Life Essentials curriculum, Kiddie Academy challenged its network of Academies to partake in the “Acts of Kindness” campaign, where students and families participated in and chronicled their own kind acts for a week.

The goal was to inspire students across the nation to perform acts of kindness towards their classmates, family, friends and community. Kiddie Academy of Gaithersburg exemplified kindness throughout the campaign by posting photos and videos across social media that embodied the theme of compassion to others.

“I am so proud of the creativity, empathy, compassion, and respect that the facility and students of Kiddie Academy of Gaithersburg exhibited throughout the ‘Acts of Kindness’ week,” Shah said. “They not only championed all of the key facets of character education, a main component of Kiddie Academy’s Life Essentials curriculum, but also made a difference in not only their classrooms but the entire Gaithersburg community.”

The Academy continued to epitomize kindness even after the campaign was over by hosting a Children’s Art Show and Charity Auction for their community on August 23, which featured interactive art exhibits and family friendly activities. The proceeds from the auction benefited Save the Children, a non-profit organization designed to give children in need a healthy start, the opportunity to learn and protection from harm.

Additionally, Kiddie Academy of Gaithersburg recently received national accreditation by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), the world's largest organization working on behalf of young children. NAEYC accreditation is a rigorous and transformative quality-improvement system that uses a set of 10 research-based standards to collaborate with early education programs to recognize and drive quality-improvement in high-quality early learning environments. Less than 10 percent of all child care centers, preschools, and kindergartens nationally achieve this prestigious recognition.

“We’re proud to have earned the mark of quality from NAEYC, and to be recognized for our commitment to reaching the highest professional standards,” Shah said. “Achieving NAEYC accreditation is a proud moment for us, as we can now highlight the fact that we’re operating against the organization’s high standards in early childhood education to offer parents unparalleled education and care.”

Angela Cirincione is the Director and Rick Hancock is their Assistant Director. Contact gaithersburg@kiddieacademy.net for more information.

About Kiddie Academy

Since its inception, Kiddie Academy has been a leader in educational child care. The company serves families and their children ages 6 weeks to 12 years old, offering full-time care, before-and after-school care, and summer camp programs. Kiddie Academy’s proprietary Life Essentials® curriculum, supporting programs, methods, activities, and techniques help prepare children for life. Kiddie Academy has received corporate accreditation from the globally recognized AdvancED accreditation system, signifying its commitment to quality education and the highest standards in child care. For more information, visit kiddieacademy.com or find Kiddie Academy on Facebook at Facebook.com/KiddieAcademy.

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