The Ruby Bridges Early Learning Center stands as a beacon of hope and progress in the community, honoring the legacy of Ruby Bridges, who broke racial barriers in education. This center plays a vital role in providing young children with a nurturing environment for growth and learning while promoting diversity, equality, and inclusion.
A New Chapter in Education and Empowerment
We are excited to announce the opening of the Ruby Bridges Early Learning Center, a preschool that not only honors the remarkable legacy of Ruby Bridges, but also addresses a critical need in our community. Located in Vancouver, Washington, this new center marks a significant step in providing access to quality early education in an area that has long been considered an “early learning desert.”
Honoring Ruby Bridges’ Legacy
Ruby Bridges’ courage at the age of six changed history. In 1960, she became the first Black student to integrate an all-white elementary school in Louisiana, a pivotal moment in the Civil Rights Movement. Today, we are proud to pay tribute to Ruby by naming this new early learning center in her honor. Ruby’s journey symbolizes resilience, leadership, and the power of education to transform lives. The Ruby Bridges Early Learning Center is designed to empower the next generation of leaders by offering a place where children are not only taught academic skills, but also the values of inclusion, empathy, and community.
A New Opportunity in an Underserved Area
This center is located just east of Fort Vancouver High School, at 6907 East 18th Street. While this area of Clark County is densely populated, it has been classified as an “early learning desert.” The community faces high poverty rates, homelessness, and a need for accessible education options. In fact, a recent study found that 63% of Washington residents live in a childcare desert, meaning there is a severe lack of affordable, quality early education.
For EOCF, providing services in this area is an essential step toward closing the achievement gap. The surrounding neighborhood has schools where the majority of families qualify for free or reduced lunch, and more than half of kindergarteners are not meeting all developmental milestones. By offering school-day preschool services at Ruby Bridges Early Learning Center, we aim to ensure that children in this community are better prepared for kindergarten and beyond, while also providing families with the support they need to be active partners in their children’s education.
Meeting the Need with Innovation
In addition to offering high-quality preschool education, the center is designed to meet the specific needs of the children and families we serve. For example, due to the high demand for services in this area, EOCF is providing bus transportation to ensure that children have access to our programs, something that is not available at other EOCF centers in Clark County. The building itself is a model of innovation, with dry-erase walls for interactive learning and modular classrooms that can be adapted to the needs of the children.
The center is more than just a preschool; it’s a community hub offering a variety of wraparound services for families, including health screenings, safety guides, and mental health support. As EOCF CEO Rekah Strong notes, “Post-pandemic, our babies came to us in a very different sort of way… We’ve had to be really intentional about providing the support these children and families need.”
Building Bridges for the Future
The name “Ruby Bridges Early Learning Center” was chosen through an internal naming contest, where EOCF employee Barb Johnson suggested Ruby’s name as a metaphor for the critical role that preschool plays in a child’s development. By naming the center after Ruby, we are reinforcing the importance of early education as a “bridge” to future success.
At EOCF, we’ve been committed to connecting, empowering, and transforming the lives of children and families in Southwest Washington for more than 57 years. We know that high-quality early education is one of the best investments we can make in our children’s futures. Research consistently shows that children who receive early learning services are more likely to perform well in school, graduate, and succeed as adults.
Looking Ahead
The opening of the Ruby Bridges Early Learning Center is not just a milestone for EOCF, but a powerful step toward creating a more equitable future for children and families in our community. We’re excited to see how this center will help close the achievement gap, offering children the support and opportunities they need to succeed.
As we celebrate this new chapter, we honor Ruby Bridges’ legacy and continue her work of creating a world where education, opportunity, and justice are available to all.
Join us in celebrating the opening of this center and its potential to transform the lives of children and families in Vancouver and beyond. Ruby Bridges once said, “Don’t follow the path. Go where there is no path and begin the trail.” With the opening of this center, we are proud to help create that trail for the next generation.