The proposed Alpha Center will house an early childhood education center and other services.
The majority of the spaces in the Alpha Center's program will be subsidized and reserved for children from the surrounding community.
Neighbors have had many questions about the proposed center. We hope to address some of those here.
Who will run the Alpha Center?
The Alpha Center will be run by Temple's College of Education and Human Development and staffed by faculty and supervised students from across the university.
Whom will the Alpha Center primarily serve?
The Alpha Center will primarily serve the North Philadelphia communities surrounding Temple.
Where will the Alpha Center be located, and how big will it be?
The center is planned for a Temple-owned parcel on Diamond Street between 13th Street and Park Avenue. It will be a multi-level building constructed with sensitivity to the surrounding community, with four stories on the Park Avenue side facing the Berean Presbyterian Church parking lot and Temple's campus and two stories on the 13th Street side adjacent to homes.
Is this part of Temple's proposed stadium project?
No. The Alpha Center is independent of that proposal.
Will the Alpha Center put current early childhood education providers out of business?
No. The demand for care for children ages 2 to 5, whom the Alpha Center will serve, exceeds the care currently available in the area. The Alpha Center will also work with local providers to create training opportunities so they can continue to improve the services they offer.
Temple's College of Education and Human Development has numerous partnerships with organizations in North Philadelphia, including the Norris Community Resident Council and several neighborhood schools. The Alpha Center will provide a home for Temple to continue to grow these valued collaborations, helping to shape a bright future for North Philadelphia's youngest residents.
What other services will be available at the Alpha Center?
In addition to early childhood education, the Alpha Center will provide the following services.
- Community dental clinic staffed by Kornberg School of Dentistry faculty
- Disability services for children and adults
- Job training and employment resources
- Multi-use rooms available to community groups
- Professional development for early childhood education providers
- Programming for high-school students including tutoring and academic supports
Temple University welcomes your questions and feedback. Contact William Hart in the Office of Community Relations at 215-204-4129 or [click-for-email].