Spanish Education Development Center

TPCDC employs a well-qualified and highly dedicated staff. All staff are certified by Maryland s Child Care Licensing Division and participate in regular professional training. TPCDC prides itself on attracting superior staff and retaining them for many years. The Takoma Park Child Development Center ( TPCDC ) is a private, nonprofit early childhood program serving children ages eighteen months to twelve years. The Center is located in the Takoma Park Presbyterian Church ( TPPC ), in Takoma Park's historic district. TPCDC was founded in 1981 as a mission of TPPC. In 1997, TPCDC became an independently operated 501 ( c ) program. Center church maintain a positive and supportive relationship. When TPCDC was first founded, it served just a few children, many of whom were affiliated with TPPC. Over the years, as the community's needs and demographics changed, so did our Center. The organization grew in size, and new programs, such as the Toddler Program and the School-Age Program, were created. In addition, TPCDC adopted flexible enrollment options to meet the varying child care needs of families. Today, TPCDC serves more than ninety families, and is a well-established and respected part of the Takoma Park community.

Marja Hilfiker, Linda Brown Myrick ( first AoH Graduate ), and Gayle Boss In 1985, Marja Hilfiker and Gayle Boss began tutoring adult students in need of high school credentials or literacy proficiency. They met with students in a small room meant for security guards at the Ritz a partment building in Adams Morgan. As word of their efforts spread, requests for help began to grow. Marja and Gayle served 19 students that first year, teaching two hours of math and two hours of reading each day. The two women consider Linda Brown, the first of their students to earn her GED, a co-founder of the Academy. Linda taught them what adult students needed most. The school grew, and soon Gayle and Marja opened a second site, at 16th and S streets N.W. Before long, the student population had grown to 70, and the number of volunteers to manage and train grew as well. Academy of Hope hired its first director in 1993, and moved into the National Baptist Memorial Church at the intersection of Adams Morgan, Columbia Heights and Mount Pleasant in 1994. After more than 20 years, Academy of Hope has moved into a new facility, situated on the property of the 850-unit Edgewood Terrace apartment complex, owned by the Community Preservation and Development Corporation, a nonprofit housing developer. There, in Washington, D.C.'s Ward 5, one of the most underserved neighborhoods in the district, school provides families the hope and skills needed for a better life.