Senator Stavisky Tours Pre-K Classrooms at the Shield Institute of Flushing

Flushing, NY—Senator Toby Ann Stavisky (D-Flushing) toured the Shield Institute of Flushing to visit the center’s on-site classrooms and learn about the services they provide to developmentally disabled children and adults throughout New York City. Senator Stavisky also met with Dr. Susan Provenzano, Ed.D, Executive Director of the Shield Institute.

The Shield Institute, which includes the Bayside Adult Service Center and three other sites around New York City, provides comprehensive programs to individuals with developmental disabilities and their families. Its school-age programs provide art therapy, technology training, transition programs. For adults, services include work training and placement.

“One of my favorite activities is being able to visit wonderful schools like the Shield Institute, a longtime neighborhood establishment that is providing high quality early childhood education to children with disabilities. There has been a lot of conversation in our city lately about the important of pre-K and I look forward to working with my colleagues in the upcoming legislative session so that as many New York children as possible get the strong educational foundation they deserve,” said Senator Stavisky.

“I would also like to commend the Shield Institute for their commitment to diversity and their sensitivity to needs of the Flushing neighborhood around them. Their work to reach out to new immigrants and to bridge language and culture gaps serves as a model for schools all over our state,” the Senator concluded.