[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 513 Introduced in House (IH)]






108th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. CON. RES. 513

Commending the first United States kindergarten, established in College 
                Point, New York, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            October 7, 2004

 Mr. Crowley submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was 
        referred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION


 
Commending the first United States kindergarten, established in College 
                Point, New York, and for other purposes.

Whereas in 1854, Conrad Poppenhusen, a successful businessman from Germany, 
        built a factory in College Point, Queens, New York, and, breaking with 
        many entrepreneurs of his time, worked to create an environment 
        beneficial to the immigrant community, which included schools;
Whereas the Poppenhusen Institute was established in 1868 with a $100,000 
        donation;
Whereas the Poppenhusen Institute began as a free adult evening school for the 
        residents of Flushing Town and was to serve the fundamental educational 
        needs of the community;
Whereas in 1870, the Poppenhusen Institute expanded its services to serve as the 
        first free kindergarten in the United States for the children of Mr. 
        Poppenhusen's factory and the community;
Whereas children who attend kindergarten demonstrate higher levels of reading 
        and mathematics knowledge and skills, and have far greater cognitive and 
        social skills, than children who do not attend kindergarten;
Whereas a number of studies, including studies commissioned by the Department of 
        Education, demonstrate that children enrolled in kindergarten more 
        rapidly acquire the knowledge and skills integral to succeed in school 
        and life;
Whereas the United States is a stronger, better place because of the children 
        across the Nation who are able to enrich their academic and social 
        development through free, public kindergartens;
Whereas kindergarten is often the first common ground where students from a 
        myriad of cultural, economic, racial, and religious backgrounds come 
        together to learn about their world, each other, and themselves;
Whereas over 3,800,000 American children are enrolled in kindergarten throughout 
        the Nation; and
Whereas universal, free, high-quality kindergarten must be accessible to all of 
        the Nation's children, both for the benefits provided to the children 
        and the benefits provided to society at large: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), 
That the Congress--
            (1) commends the Poppenhusen Institute and the College 
        Point community for establishing the first free kindergarten in 
        the United States; and
            (2) supports the strong beginning provided by kindergartens 
        across the United States to the Nation's children.
                                 <all>