Bezos Academy North Dallas opened in November on the Presbyterian Village North campus.
Bezos Academy North Dallas opened in November at Presbyterian Village North as the second Bezos Academy in America and the first in Texas to operate on the campus of a senior living facility. Bezos Academy is a nonprofit network of tuition-free preschools for low-income families launched in 2020 by former Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos.
The North Dallas preschool has space for 80 children ages 3 to 5 and offers full-day, year-round programming. The Montessori-inspired curriculum features hands-on activities to teach math, literacy, social-emotional learning, sensory development and more. Bezos Academy covers all costs and provides everything needed during the child’s day, including meals and snacks.
“We’re thrilled to open our second Bezos Academy preschool hosted by a senior living community,” said Mike George, president of Bezos Academy. “We know the positive impact that tuition-free preschool has on families, and research shows that intergenerational programming benefits the young and seniors alike.”
Tim Mallad of Forefront Living, owner and operator of PVN, says residents there have a history of working with children — and both groups enjoy countless benefits of spending time together.
“We have this very active, independent resident population that has been out the entire time volunteering. Probably three years ago or so — maybe four now — the residents had developed a relationship with one of the schools in Dallas through a pen pal program. So, there had already been a precedent on our campus of residents working with children, who were learning cursive writing and writing letters. We saw from that activity — which is still going on today — the joy between the two groups of individuals. [We see] the growth in the children and the happiness in the residents for having those relationships. So I saw this and I thought, gosh, we already know how good that interaction is. What a perfect fit.”
Families earning up to 400% of the federal poverty level, or about $120,000 per year for a family of four, are eligible to apply. Details on eligibility and the lottery-based selection process are available here.
Bezos Academy North Dallas is located on the PVN campus at 8703 Stults Road, Suite 100 near Forest Lane and 75.
Photo courtesy of Bezos Academy.
Sabrina Watkins delivers remarks at the opening of Bezos Academy North Dallas.
