{"id":150592,"date":"2025-07-16T22:18:23","date_gmt":"2025-07-17T03:18:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/?p=150592"},"modified":"2025-07-16T22:18:24","modified_gmt":"2025-07-17T03:18:24","slug":"new-center-to-focus-on-early-childhood-education-autism-intervention","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/new-center-to-focus-on-early-childhood-education-autism-intervention\/","title":{"rendered":"New Center to Focus on Early Childhood Education, Autism Intervention"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

University aims to open $32.8M facility in early 2027<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

By Marvis Herring<\/em><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The University of Mississippi <\/strong>is looking to catch learning disabilities sooner and expand educational resources in north Mississippi through a new Early Learning and Evaluation Center<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The center will be operated by the UM\u00a0School of Education<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0and will house the university’s nationally accredited preschool, the\u00a0Willie Price Lab School<\/strong><\/a>. It will also allow more children to receive developmental and auditory evaluations, increasing opportunities for early intervention services.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“We are pleased to expand how we serve the community through the UM Early Learning and Evaluation Center and uphold our deep commitment for caring for one another,\u00a0a cornerstone of our university’s values,” Chancellor Glenn Boyce<\/strong> said.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“It is exciting how our talented and committed faculty and students from the School of Education will provide important evaluation and education services through the center. We are grateful for the support of the state, and we eagerly anticipate the construction of the forthcoming state-of-the-art facility.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Demolition ahead of the $30 million-plus project began this spring. Construction started in June, with the center slated to open in 2027.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Willie Price Lab School will relocate and occupy a portion of the new two-story, 51,447-square-foot facility at the South Oxford Center<\/strong>. The plans call for a nearly 12,000-square-foot evaluation center featuring a sensory playroom, evaluation and observation rooms, and clinical instruction space.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Identifying students who need support early on greatly increases their chances of success and chances to graduate high school” said David Rock<\/strong>, dean of the education school.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a>
Plans for the two-story Early Learning and Evaluation Center include a nearly 12,000 square-foot evaluation center, plus playgrounds and a dining facility.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

“This center brings all our resources together into one location, where children can be evaluated and get treated by professionals, all within our facility. This centralized approach improves early intervention and provides a supportive environment for both students and parents.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mississippi is considered a low-resource, high need state for child development and well-being<\/a>. The center will help address the state’s shortage of early intervention options, referenced in the Children’s Foundation of Mississippi’s 2024 Kids Count report<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The ELEC clinic will provide evidence-based evaluation services through a partnership with the Child Health and Developmental Promotion Fellowship <\/strong>at\u00a0University of Mississippi Medical Center<\/strong><\/a>. The goal is to provide evaluation services and support for children with autism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“This new center will provide people in north Mississippi and across the state with more opportunities to receive early learning and evaluation services,” said Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann<\/strong>, who helped the university secure $10 million in state funds for the project.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“The quicker we can identify a child’s gifts and special needs, the better chance we have to find therapies and resources which help them learn, grow and thrive.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ole Miss is investing more than $21 million into the project and has secured nearly $1.4 million in funding from the\u00a0U.S. Department of Education<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The plan proposal also includes:<\/p>\n\n\n\n