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“Having just one child in an early learning center like Opportunity elevates the whole family’s esteem,” says Jill Gilmour. “They do not feel mired in their socioeconomic group. A child who is getting an education will be unlikely to be tempted to join a gang or resort to violence, thus reducing the overall crime rate of their area over time. This is exactly what has happened in the area of Vista, California, where we established our first pre-K in the U.S.” The Erin H. Gilmour center features 16 classrooms, each utilizing assessment tools to support high-quality student-teacher interactions. Part of Opportunity’s success is linked to its focus on STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts/creativity, and mathematics), critical thinking, and learning how to learn. Teachers implement the conscious discipline technique to build character, emotional wellness, and good citizenship. The center also offers families access to a resource center, an on-staff social worker, a scholarship fund, an emergency food and clothing pantry, family therapy and education, a full-time nurse, and the county’s first Ben Carson Reading Room in a preschool. In addition, Opportunity will provide after-care for its graduates and students’ siblings. “With this expansion, we can increase services for the children, who come with a lot of other risks, such as food insecurities,” says Eger. “We can expand our family-development program, help parents continue their education, and prepare for job searching. We can get back to our original roots of helping low-income families become self-sufficient.” The Gilmours’ gift and, more importantly, vision allowed for the land purchase, furnishing, security technology, and all supplies and equipment for the new facility, but with an operating budget of $3.5 million a year, an endowment is needed to ensure Opportunity’s success in perpetuity. The Gilmours have responded with another substantial gift, on top of their initial investment, which will be announced at the opening event. “It’s the least I can do for the wonderful life I’ve been able to lead,” says Gilmour. It’s also the best possible tribute to his daughter in that it is more than a passion project honoring a loved one’s memory. It is a powerful solution to a real problem.
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The Erin H. Gilmour Early Learning Center is a tribute to Gilmour’s late daughter, but it also presents a clear solution to the crime and gang problems plaguing communities.
“The human brain is 85 [to 90] percent formed between six weeks and five years,” he notes. “If a child, at age 5 or 6, has not had early mental training and also lives in a fairly dysfunctional environment, it could lead to involvement with gangs. They take children who have been ignored, start them off as runners, then train them to steal and [commit] other crimes.” Early childhood education has been proven to work. From 1962 to 1968, HighScope Educational Research Foundation examined the lives of 123 children born in poverty and at high-risk of failing in school. The children were divided into two groups: Group A entered a top-quality preschool program based on HighScope’s participatory-learning approach. Group B received no preschool program. In the early 2000s, HighScope interviewed 97 percent of the participants at age 40. The study found that the adults who attended preschool had higher earnings, committed fewer crimes, and were more likely to graduate from school and hold a job. Similarly, the Chicago Child-Parent Center (CPC) followed the progress of 989 children enrolled in 24 preschools in low-income areas with access to extensive resources provided by CPC. The study showed an economic incentive for investing in high-quality childhood intervention. For the 1,000 who enrolled in the CPC program between 1983 and 1986, $26 million was generated. In economic rewards, for every dollar invested in a child, approximately $7 was returned to society. “This is a rethink of David’s legacy,” says Jacobi. “He thought this was a wonderful way to counteract local gangs. This is an alternative to [crime]. It’s an environment that fosters learning and values.” “This could be the bomb that ignites [a solution],” Gilmour says. Even now, well into his eighth decade, the serial entrepreneur and philanthropist can’t stop dreaming big. His next goal is to expand the concept within Palm Beach County and present his prototype to decision makers in Washington, D.C. in order to encourage the government to place more emphasis on early childhood education. “[Erin] would be so involved with us on this,” he says. Jill adds, “This is the best way to remember this exceptional young woman and turn a tragedy into a positive outcome.” «
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