EAST LIBERTY-BASED DUOLINGO HAS PLEDGED TO INVEST $1 MILLION A YEAR TO HELP EXPAND PITTSBURGH’S EARLY LEARNING NETWORK TO PROVIDE QUALITY EDUCATION TO EVERYONE, REGARDLESS OF ECONOMIC BACKGROUND. | ILLUSTRATION SUBMITTED BY DUOLINGO

Duolingo has pledged to ensure greater access to quality early childhood education and care, and strengthen Pittsburgh’s early care and education system through a new program to support families in need.

The East-Liberty based company that produces learning apps and provides language certification launched the Duolingo Early Learners First program on Tuesday, with $1 million per year investments in local child care providers and education systems in an effort to bring quality education to everyone, no matter their economic background.

The first phase of funding will benefit nine area child care providers to increase their programming, staffing and support for families. 

The nine centers are: Brightside Academy Early Education-East Liberty, Child’s Way, Davis Family Childcare, Eastminster Child Care, Homewood-Brushton YWCA, Hope Academy Powered by Hosanna House, McCoy’s Learning Center LLC, Mt. Ararat Early Childhood Development Center, and Shady Lane School.

Future funding will allot grants for early learning programs to provide tuition-free seats for qualifying families.

With the federal American Rescue Plan of 2021 expiring at the end of this month, more than 70,000 child care centers across the country are in danger of closing, including 1 in 3 child care programs in Pennsylvania.

“These closures will have ripple effects across every community. In Pennsylvania alone, less than 50% of child care currently meets high-quality standards,” a Duolingo press release reads. 

Erin Stanley, Child’s Way director, says the center serves 36 children and their families.

“I think this is a great investment because there is a large need for increased funding for early education, especially to provide high-quality early education to children,” she adds.

The funding will give Child’s Way the opportunity to increase the number of high-quality early childhood educators and nurses on staff, as well as grow the number of children and families they can serve, according to Stanley.

Kendra Ross, Duolingo’s head of social impact, wrote in a recent blog: “Our headquarters reside in East Liberty, which is also the epicenter of some of the highest-need communities in the city. With this new program, we plan to invest in local child care programs to help them motivate and retain staff, and adopt sustainable business practices.”

Ross adds the nine eligible programs will receive up to $80,000 each to assist in meeting the true cost of care, which can include staff benefits and facility improvements.

Duolingo will also partner with local organizations to offer business coaching to the grant winners.