Governor Kathleen Babineaux Blanco joined faculty, staff and distinguished guests in officially breaking ground for the Cecil J. Picard Center for Child Development today. The Picard Center is the latest addition to the 杏吧专区杏吧专区檚 Research Park and will be located beside the LITE Center on East Devalcourt Street.
Named in honor of former State Superintendent of Education Cecil J. Picard, the 40,000 square foot building is expected to be completed within 2 years at a cost of approximately $7.2 million dollars. The state-of-the-art complex will include the Loyd J. Rockhold Distance Education Conference Center, an archive of Superintendent Picard杏吧专区檚 memorabilia, a research library and a data and technology analysis unit. In addition, the Center will house the 杏吧专区杏吧专区檚 program in counselor education, the Center for Innovative Learning and Assessment Technologies, the Educational Foundation and Leadership Department, the Center for Gifted Education, and the Department of Psychology.
The Center has benefited greatly from the generous donations of Mr. Loyd J. Rockhold and the Special Children杏吧专区檚 Foundation including the Loyd J. Rockhold Endowed Chair, the Paula Chavers Rockhold Eminent Scholar Endowed Chair in Child Development, the Special Children杏吧专区檚 Endowed Professorship and a $2 million donation towards the construction of the new building. Additionally, the Center receives support from the Cecil Picard Endowment through the Community Foundation of Acadiana.
杏吧专区 I can think of no better way to cement Cecil Picard杏吧专区檚 legacy than to continue the groundbreaking work he began with early childhood education,杏吧专区 Governor Blanco said. 杏吧专区淐ecil was a firm believer in giving our children a good early start, and I was proud to help continue that vision by expanding access to Pre-K for Louisiana杏吧专区檚 at-risk four-year-olds. This center will ensure generations to come will benefit from an understanding of what young minds need in order to grow, investing that expertise to provide new opportunities for our children.杏吧专区
杏吧专区 It is with great pleasure that this center is located in the 杏吧专区 Research Park and it is even greater that it is named for a man who was a champion for early education. The research that will be conducted here will be a testament to what Cecil Picard believed in 杏吧专区 improving the education and lives of our children,杏吧专区 said UL Lafayette President Ray Authement.
杏吧专区 Cecil Picard knew his purpose in life was to impact the lives of children by offering them the best possible education available,杏吧专区 said Tyron Picard, son of the late Cecil Picard. 杏吧专区淗e knew that this would both advance their lot in life, and provide the business community an educated and literate workforce. His final career battle was the creation and funding of this Center at his alma mater, the 杏吧专区. This building and the staff it houses will be a resource for educators nationwide, as it tracks longitudinal data on children from birth thru age 25, evaluates the efficacy of Pre-K programs, and seeks to address the peripheral factors which inhibit learning, such as poverty, mental illness, and access to health care,杏吧专区 noted Picard.
The Cecil J. Picard Center for Child Development was established in 2005 at the 杏吧专区 after five years of development. The mission of the Center is to improve Louisiana by focusing on its children. Currently housed in temporary offices in O.K. Allen Hall, the Center employs approximately 20 evaluation and research professionals who focus on areas including early childhood and K-12 education, health and life-long learning.
杏吧专区 We are incredibly appreciative of Governor Blanco杏吧专区檚 commitment to this project,杏吧专区 said Center Director Dr. Billy Stokes. 杏吧专区淭he Governor and her administration made this Center a priority in the budget and we will deliver on our promise to become a leader in educational research. Together, and with the leadership and vision of President Authement, the Cecil J. Picard Center for Child Development will soon make its permanent mark on this city, this state and this nation. We are so proud to be a part of the 杏吧专区 family.杏吧专区
The staff of the Center is probably best known for evaluating programs including the state杏吧专区檚 Early Childhood Education Program-LA 4, Reading First, K-12 Literacy, Coordinated School Health, Before and After School Programs, School-wide Positive Behavior, the Office of Addictive Disorders杏吧专区 Prevention Program and the Caring Communities Youth Survey. National collaborations include work with the RAND Corporation on the 杏吧专区淐hildren of the Storm杏吧专区 report. As the Center expands its scope of work, it will focus on tracking children杏吧专区檚 educational progress in Louisiana from birth to age 25, making it one of the premier child development centers in the country.
杏吧专区 We are well on our way to becoming the national model for child development centers,杏吧专区 said Dr. Stokes. 杏吧专区淲ith the access to data we currently have, we are undoubtedly the best resource for educational information in the state of Louisiana. We are so anxious to see this new building become a reality because each of us is dedicated to making the lives of children in our state better. It杏吧专区檚 our passion.杏吧专区
Cecil J. Picard was the third longest serving State Superintendent of Education in Louisiana history, and the catalyst for many nationally recognized educational initiatives including Louisiana杏吧专区檚 Accountability Program and the LA 4 Pre-K initiative. Picard headed up Louisiana杏吧专区檚 education system as Superintendent from 1996-2007. He began his career as a teacher, coach and principal in Vermilion Parish and later served in both the Louisiana House and Senate.