July/August 2023
MECK Pre-K in the News
We're in the news! Our Chief Early Education Officer, Mary Margaret Kantor visited QC Life-WBTV on July 27th to talk about the importance of pre-K education, the difference between childcare and pre-K education, the curriculum and how to apply on our website.
Apply for this School Year!
Applications are still being accepted for the upcoming school year. MECK Pre-K is high quality free pre-K education open to all four-year-old children in Mecklenburg County. Children must turn four on or before August 31 to enroll this year.

Space is limited, so families are encouraged to apply today!
If your child won't be four on or before August 31, 2023, don't worry! You can sign up to be notified when registration is open for your child's year.
Parent Testimonial
Here's what one of our MECK Pre-K parents had to say about their experience with MECK Pre-K:
"Meck Pre-K has helped Chelsea become an independent little girl. Every morning she has been eager to get ready to head to school. Her teachers Mrs. Tonya and Mrs. Lauren instilled in her the love of reading, tracing and letters! Chelsea knows her alphabet, numbers and shapes like the back of her hand! She adores everything she learns about nature. I found the Meck Pre-K curriculum to be a well-rounded program that aided my child to flourish at so many levels!" 
-Euge Fox
We'd like to hear from you what it means to see your children's growth in MECK Pre-K. Share your story on our Testimonial Page!
More Ways to Give Feedback
Thank you as well to the many families who have given us feedback by rating, reviewing and sending emails to MECK Pre-K. If you haven't had the opportunity yet, it's not too late - click here to rate and review us.
MECK Pre-K in the Community

The MECK Pre-K team has been busy this summer! Check out some of the activities and events we've been a part of over the past few months.
Smart Start Programs, including MECK Pre-K, participated in community events all throughout Mecklenburg County.
Our staff supported MECK Pre-K enrollment events at our centers, so that families could learn about the benefits of MECK Pre-K.
The MECK Pre-K and Smart Start team came together for screening events. Screenings are necessary for students to start the school year.
Thank you to all the families who made these events so successful. Find us at our next event by checking our events page!
Benefits of Being
a MECK Pre-K Teacher
MECK Pre-K teachers and assistant teachers receive the same pay as Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools (CMS) educators. They also receive health insurance, retirement benefits, and a consistent schedule with built-in planning and organizational time. MECK Pre-K educators also have professional development opportunities, ongoing support from success coaches, and a high-quality curriculum to follow. Learn more on our careers page!
Help Spread the Word
About MECK Pre-K!

Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn and share our posts! You can find even more ways to talk about MECK Pre-K on our Partner Toolkit Page.
Important Community Updates
Scholarship Opportunities for Early Childhood Educators
At MECK Pre-K we pride ourselves on having teachers with the highest quality education and skills to teach and shape the minds of our little scholars. Smart Start recognizes the high cost of poor childcare and invests funds to offer teacher training, and bonus payments for teachers intent on attaining higher education levels.

Many of our teachers and assistant teachers at MECK Pre-K are continuing their education with the help of the STRIVE Scholarship program at Central Piedmont Community College, and the Teacher Preparation Grant at University of North Carolina Charlotte. These are great tools for current teachers wanting to advance in their careers and for those looking to enter the early childhood education profession. Learn more about the work Smart Start is doing to support early childhood education and these programs here.
A2i Pilot Expanding to MECK Pre-K Classrooms
The A2i platform is a teacher tool that helps identify the reading needs of each child, providing recommendations for how to use classroom time with existing curricular materials for every child in a classroom. Read Charlotte has tracked the research behind A2i since 2017, and considers it to be one of the most promising, high-impact solutions we’ve seen, with strong evidence of improving early literacy outcomes.
Continue reading this story here!
Thank You!
To our Community Partners!
Our Smart Start to MECK Pre-K screening and enrollment events were a huge success! Our families came out to participate in orientation and development (Brigance) screenings required for children to start MECK Pre-K in the fall. They also had a chance to learn about resources available in Mecklenburg county through our community partners.

We could not have done this event without the support of our community partners. We greatly appreciate all who participated by screening children, providing books and other resources! Thank you friends at Bette Rae Thomas Recreation Center, Eastway Regional Recreation Center, Learning Charms, Charlotte Speech and Hearing, Child Language and Developmental Speech, Charlotte Mecklenburg Library, Care Ring, Diaper Bank, Children's Home Society, NC Early Intervention, Mental Health America, SPARC Services and Programs, MECK Dental, Crossway Pediatric Therapy, Three C's Speech Therapy, Speech Tactics, Milestone Therapy INC, Alliance Health, Clear Voice Translations, LLC and our Smart Start Programs, Dolly Parton Imagination Library and Guiding Parents to Services!

Want to partner with us at a future event? Reach out to us at meckprek.org/contact-us
Smart Start of Mecklenburg County Celebrates 30 Years!
Smart Start of Mecklenburg County is celebrating 30 years of mobilizing resources, forging partnerships, and supporting families to improve early childhood health, education, and development. Over the past 30 years, Smart Start of Mecklenburg County has been a leader in the early childhood space, helping ensure that all children in Mecklenburg County "turn five ready to thrive."
Smart Start supports families to improve early childhood health, education and development - all to help ensure that children turn five ready to thrive.
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