The project involves financing a new 17,500 square foot state-of-the-art Early Education and Community Center, to be located on what is now a blighted, vacant lot in a largely residential neighborhood of New Bedford’s south end. This Center has been carefully designed to serve NorthStar and the community long-term, and to best serve young children with a range of developmental needs, informed by best practices.

More details:

• A chef will make 2 home-cooked meals for the children every day in the new commercial kitchen, using fresh meats, vegetables, fruit, eggs and other products that the Center will receive free of charge from the nonprofit Round the Bend farm. The chef will introduce fruits and vegetables in a culturally appropriate way, to accustom the children to more healthy eating and reduce youth obesity.
• Northstar will start collecting data through a mechanism called city span to assess the impact on children who started with early education. Each child that is sent to kindergarten will go with a plan.