May 14, 2009 –
The Ben-no-tteh Wigwam Prairie Band Potawatomi Early Childhood EducationCenter pow-wow was held today at Prairie Peoples Park to celebrate the end of the school year and for being an early education center provider for 25 years.
Jackie Mitchell, a PBPN who also served on the Tribal Council for several years, and Rose Sigmund, director of NEK-CAP (northeast Kansas Community Action Program), were recognized at the event for helping to found the Head Start program on the PBPN Common Land in 1984.
Graduation exercises were also held for Infants, Toddlers, and various Head Start classes and other parents and teachers were also recognized for their service this past year.
In 1984 NEK-CAP began serving 20 children in a smaller building and today theEarly Childhood Education Center has its own modern building and serves over 100 children with a staff of 35. Hope Adame is the Director of the Center and Anna Boswell is the President of the Policy Council.
The Early Childhood Education Center is located at 15380 K Road on the common land.