Pacific Oaks College and Children's School Join TCS Education System

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Jun 02, 2010, 02:27 ET

CHICAGO and PASADENA, Calif., June 2 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Pacific Oaks College, renowned for its unique approach to teaching early childhood educators, and the celebrated Pacific Oaks Children's School, today became affiliates of the nonprofit TCS Education System (TCS ES), an innovative network of institutions that prepare socially responsible, culturally competent professionals in applied fields such as psychology, health and human services, and education. Pacific Oaks College and Children's School join three other distinguished schools within TCS ES: The Chicago School of Professional Psychology, Santa Barbara Graduate Institute, and Garfield Park Preparatory Academy, an elementary contract school on Chicago's West Side.

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"We could not be more proud to welcome Pacific Oaks College and the Pacific Oaks Children's School as affiliates of the TCS Education System," said Dr. Michael Horowitz, president and CEO of TCS ES and recently appointed chair of the Pacific Oaks College Board of Trustees. "Pacific Oaks' outstanding legacy as a leader in early childhood education, coupled with its commitment to social responsibility and emphasis on diversity and cultural awareness, makes it a pitch perfect addition to the System."

Throughout its 60-year legacy, Pacific Oaks College has contributed thousands of highly trained educators to the Head Start program, private day care centers, and schools and colleges in California and across the nation. New and old graduates continue to make an impact on individuals and the broader community, as distinguished authors and speakers, childcare workers, marriage and family therapists, and teachers in K-12 through college.

Last year, the Pacific Oaks College Board sought to identify an organization that would help the College continue to meet its mission and serve students in the face of financial challenges. The board ultimately chose TCS ES due to its commitment to preserve the College's legacy and the fact that the System's mission—to prepare innovative, engaged, purposeful agents of change who serve our global community—is closely aligned with that of the College itself.

Since last summer, the College, with assistance from TCS ES, has brought on a new and well-respected president, Dr. Cindy Carter, new board members have been appointed and a three-year financial plan has been put in place. The College is re-opening previously approved instructional sites in California and will in the future broaden its reach through new online and on-ground programs in Pasadena. The College's Burgess Lecture Series is set to begin again in September, and a new alumni magazine is targeted to launch this fall.

"Like Pacific Oaks, TCS ES is committed to institutions that create a transformative learning experience," said Dr. Cindy Carter, president of Pacific Oaks College and Pacific Oaks Children's School. "Joining a system like TCS ES allows us to stay true to our own values and mission. And with the administrative and academic support from TCS ES we can impact more students in California and across the country."

About TCS Education System

TCS Education System (TCS ES) was founded in 2009 as a not-for-profit organization with a mission of preparing innovative, engaged, purposeful agents of change who serve our global community.

TCS ES features a network of specialized institutions, which are backed by a model of education that prepares socially responsible, culturally competent professionals in applied fields such as psychology, health and human services, and education. TCS ES' collection of colleges and graduate schools—The Chicago School of Professional Psychology, Santa Barbara Graduate Institute, and Pacific Oaks College—each offer scholarship, training, and service opportunities directed to a specific career path while providing a transformative educational experience that ensures that the students' personal, academic, and professional needs are met.

Other System affiliates include Garfield Park Preparatory Academy, a K-8 elementary school on Chicago's West Side devoted to delivering a progressive, evidence-based curriculum; Pacific Oaks Children's School in Pasadena, Calif., which provides experiential early childhood learning and daycare; TCS Online, an online education delivery and services affiliate; and TCS Foundation, which cultivates grants and charitable contributions to support community based student-learning opportunities throughout the System. http://www.tcsedsystem.org

About Pacific Oaks College and Pacific Oaks Children's School

Pacific Oaks College offers bachelor's, master's, and certificate programs in human development, counseling, and teacher education credentialing.

Founded in 1959 by a small group of Quaker families, Pacific Oaks College is dedicated to the fundamental Quaker principles of inclusion, social justice, and the valuing of every human being. The institution is known and recognized for its pioneering efforts to reduce bias within our nation's education system, and for equipping graduates with the skills they need to help those with diverse backgrounds, learning styles, and strengths uncover and realize their unique individual potential. Pacific Oaks College is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC), www.acswasc.org.

Founded in 1945, Pacific Oaks Children's School is widely recognized today as one of the finest preschools in the Los Angeles region.

For more information, visit www.pacificoaks.edu

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Michael Horowitz, Ph.D.

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