Youngest Donor Makes a Special Gift from the Heart to The Children's Center

Montclair State's Children's Center has received a special and uniquely personal gift from its youngest donor ever. Eric Pzena, 13, an alumnus of the Children's Center's Demonstration Program, dedicated a portion of the gifts received at his bar mitzvah in December 2005 to the Center. He and his parents, Rich Pzena and Wendy Pzena, presented Toni Spiotta with a check for $2,000. Spiotta is Eric's former teacher and the Director of the Psychoeducational Center at the Children's Center.

In addition, Eric volunteered at the Children's Center last fall as his bar mitzvah service project. Eric "graduated" from Spiotta's program, the Demonstration Preschool, eight years ago. The Demonstration Preschool enrolls three- to five-year olds who have been identified as being on the autistic spectrum. Eric and his parents were extremely pleased with how much Eric benefited from his experience in the program.

MSU's Children's Center serves over 300 children annually. It is an inclusive childcare/preschool program that unites special needs and typically developing children in a single setting. One of the few inclusive childcare/preschool initiatives in the area, it will become a replicable model for programs elsewhere. It also provides hands-on training in an inclusive setting for approximately 400 MSU early education students.