Commending the establishment in College Point, New York, of the first free, public kindergarten in the United States.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong support of the Resolution H.

Con. Res. 47, which recognizes the establishment of the first, free public kindergarten in the United States, located in College Point, Queens, New York.

As a native of Queens, I grew up learning about the history of this community, which includes the creation of the first free public kindergarten in the United States.

The community of College Point, just a stone's throw from LaGuardia Airport, Shay Stadium--home of the Mets--and Flushing Meadows-Corona Park--the home of the U.S. Open Tennis tournament--this community was one of the first seeds in the creation of public education in America. Something that represents the Great Equalizer in American society.

It all started in 1854, when Conrad Poppenhusen, a businessman from Germany, built a factory in College Point.

There, he stressed an environment in which his immigrant workers could educate themselves in order to succeed financially, socially, and, most significantly, intellectually.

Just as Henry Ford paid his employees high wages so they, in turn, could purchase his cars, Conrad Poppenhusen represented another industrial genius--that if educating his workforce to make them and their families more successful people in the community.

Fourteen years later, in 1868, Mr. Poppenhusen continued his illustrious educational work by donating $100,000 and establishing the Poppenhusen Institute.

His Institute sustained his original educational mission and expanded on it, by promoting the education of all adults from the greater community--not just his employees.

In 1870, the Poppenhusen Institute once again expanded its educational services to include the first, free, public kindergarten in the United States, a seminal moment in American education and something we celebrate today with this resolution.

The history of kindergarten has been a colorful one in America . . . and one that is big enough for all of us to share, recognize, and honor today.

My friends from Wisconsin will happily point out that the first kindergarten in the United States was based in Watertown, Wisconsin and was founded in 1856 by Margarethe Meyer Schurz.

This private, German-language kindergarten represented a landmark in the educational development of young Americans and we all salute her accomplishments.

Additionally, any debate on the history of kindergarten would be incomplete without reference to the works of Elizabeth Palmer Peabody, a Massachusetts educator who opened the first English-language kindergarten in the United States in 1860.

When she opened her kindergarten in 1860, the concept of providing formal schooling for children younger than six was largely confined to German practice.

These educational pioneers led to the creation, by Conrad Poppenhusen, of the Nation's first, free public kindergarten--a sweeping educational development and a strong basis for the kindergartens we all know and recognize in our country today.

It has always been known that education is the Great American Equalizer--the first step in young Americans lives to live the American Dream.

The actions of Conrad Poppenhusen and his revolutionary kindergarten--the first kindergarten free and open to all, helped engrain the idea of free and public kindergartens throughout our great Nation--opening up the ideals of the American Dream to tens of millions of Americans since then.

The American Dream of using education as a foundation for supporting oneself, one's family. The American Dream of using education as a foundation for a good job, home ownership, and a brighter future overall.

This important moment, when this kindergarten opened in 1870 in College Point, Queens, NY, is all the more profound today, as Department of Education studies show the impact of kindergarten on the children that attend.

Children who are enrolled in kindergarten benefit immensely from the knowledge and skills they learn, while simultaneously profiting from their interaction with children of a similar age.

The reading and math skills, which students learn in kindergarten, are invaluable to a child's later education.

Moreover, for many children, kindergarten is one of the first places in which they interact with students from a multitude of cultural, economic, racial, and religious backgrounds. These early interactions are pivotal in establishing relationships, which promote awareness of the importance of numerous cultures and ideas, something particularly important in Queens, New York, which is seen as one of the most diverse areas of the country.

The effort that began in College Point today remains a significant feature of our education system.

One of the greatest aspects of our nation is that through education, which often starts in kindergarten, each successive generation of children can succeed.

Quite simply, the establishment of the first free, public kindergarten in College Point has made our nation a stronger, better place for generations.

I want to close by recognizing the continued importance of the Poppenhusen Institute and those who serve it. This notable list extends from the first days of class to the work that persists. This list must include the first teacher, Bertha Ploedterl, all the way to Susan Brustmann, the current Executive Director, and James Trent, the President of the Board of Directors.

Today, the work of these individuals and this community has resulted in activities, exhibits, and programs for people of all ages. Programs cover the fields of music, drama, karate, stress reduction.

There are exhibits, such as one on the tragic events of September 11th as well as another on Native Americans.

Individuals can take tours reviewing the archives of College Point to learn, not only about the history of this community, but about our shared American history, in this area, one of the most diverse and welcoming in the world.

Additionally, the Institute collects the living histories of area seniors, so that they are documented for future generations.

While the earliest days of this kindergarten will be remembered for being truly significant to New York and our nation, the true testament to the significance of this Institute is in the proud legacy that continues to live on through its works.

Madam Speaker, today the House considers H. Con. Res. 47, Commending the Establishment in College Point, New York, of the First Kindergarten in the United States.

The resolution honors the first free Kindergarten established in the United States in 1870 by Conrad Poppenhusen. I would like to note for the record that Margarethe Meyer Schurz--wife of Carl Schurz--opened the first Kindergarten in the United States in Watertown, Wisconsin in 1856.

The following is an article from the August 19, 1998 Capital Times (Madison, WI) detailing the work of Margarethe Schurz that led to the first U.S. Kindergarten in Watertown, Wisconsin.

[From the Capital Times, Aug. 19, 1998]

Aug. 27, 1832: 1st Kindergarten Sprouts; Schurz Wanted the Best

Education for Her Daughter

(By Kathy Maeglin)

As a young mother in Watertown in 1856, Margarethe Schurz

wanted her little daughter to have the educational advantages

she would have had back in their native Germany.

So Margarethe invited four little cousins to come to the

house each day for games, singing and crafts. She had been an

early student of the ``kindergarten'' movement in Germany,

and now she was employing what she had learned in her own

frontier home.

As word of Margarethe's ``class'' spread, friends

petitioned her to let their own children join in. The group

moved to a more convenient location downtown, and thus the

first kindergarten in America was created.

As Hannah Werwath Swart wrote in her biography ``Margarethe

Meyer Schurz,'' Margarethe's background likely would have led

her to establish the first American kindergarten even if she

had not had any children of her own.

Margarethe Meyer was born on Aug. 27, 1832, to a wealthy

merchant family in Hamburg, Germany.

In 1850, when she was a teenager, her older sister Bertha

became involved in a Jewish-Christian women's group that had

decided to focus on training young children as a way to

promote idealism and understanding among all people.

The group invited Friedrich Wilhelm August Froebel, the man

who created the first kindergarten in 1840, to come to

Hamburg to help them establish one there. Margarethe listened

to Froebel's lectures for two years, thereby gaining the

knowledge and inspiration that would motivate her later in

life.

When she was 19, she moved to London to run a kindergarten

that had been established there by her sister Bertha. It was

there that she met Carl Schurz, a German revolutionary who

had fled his native country.

Carl Schurz was determined to migrate to America, where he

could have the free citizenship he so desired and where much

of his family had already gone. So after their marriage, the

two idealistic young Germans set sail for America.

After living in Philadelphia for a few years, the couple

eventually settled in Watertown, which at the time was the

second largest city in Wisconsin.

It was shortly after they arrived in Watertown that

Margarethe started the activities that would result in the

kindergarten (which is German for ``children's garden'').

But Watertown did not turn out to be the major railroad

center that Carl had hoped when he chose to settle there. So

Carl made the most of his speaking skills and passion for

politics, and he ended up serving as a minister to Spain, a

general in the Civil War and finally a U.S. senator from

Missouri.

Since her husband's career took her away from Wisconsin,

Margarethe entrusted the continuation of her kindergarten to

Carl's cousin, Miss Juessen.

Others took over the school in later years and it continued

until World War I, when it was closed because the teacher

refused to teach in any language other than German, which had

become unpopular.

Margarethe Schurz died at the age of 43 on March 15, 1876,

in Washington, D.C. But her legacy lives on in schools

throughout the country as young minds are cultivated in

kindergartens, which Margarethe once described as gardens

``whose plants are human.''

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 47) commending the establishment in College Point, New York, of the first kindergarten in the United States, as amended.

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H. Con. Res. 47.

Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Con. Res. 47 commending the establishment of the first free public kindergarten in the United States. Madam Speaker, we can all agree on the merits of early education to the academic success of America's children. From the time that Conrad Poppenhusen offered free, public kindergarten to his community in College Point, New York, millions of American children have benefited from a foundational first year of school.

Kindergarten is a common experience for most American children. Today, 98 percent of children of kindergarten age in America attend kindergarten programs for at least half of the school day, and a growing number of schools, today about 60 percent, now offer full-day kindergarten programs. At age 5, the age at which most children enter kindergarten, children's development varies greatly. Because they often begin with a range of knowledge and skills, the kindergarten experience can substantially reduce educational disparities and help build a foundation for future school success.

Research demonstrates that children generally develop both cognitive and noncognitive knowledge and skills during the kindergarten year. In the year 2000, the National Center For Education Statistics, a research arm of the U.S. Department of Education, published findings from a large-scale study to evaluate the effectiveness of kindergarten. The study showed that after a year of kindergarten, children demonstrate a greater understanding of reading and mathematics concepts, as well as specific knowledge and skills. By the end of the kindergarten year, nearly all children recognized letters, numbers, and shapes, and an increased number of children can add and subtract numbers.

Madam Speaker, in closing, I would like to thank the gentleman from New York (Mr. Crowley) for recognizing the importance of kindergarten and the contribution of Conrad Poppenhusen for establishing the first free, public American kindergarten.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

I rise today in support of House concurrent resolution 47, which recognizes the establishment of the first free, public kindergarten in the United States located at College Point, Queens, New York.

I am pleased to manage the time on this legislation, which is offered by my good friend and colleague, the gentleman from New York (Mr. Crowley) who represents College Point, Queens, here in the House of Representatives.

The history of kindergarten in America has been colorful. Many areas of the country can claim credit for advancing education of our youth through kindergarten classes. From Wisconsin to Massachusetts to New York, many folks have had a hand in developing kindergarten. However, Queens, New York is home to the first free, public kindergarten class, and it is proper today, Madam Speaker, that we honor that achievement. Public kindergarten has played a meaningful role in the lives of many Americans, including the gentleman from New York (Mr. Crowley), the author of this legislation, as well as me.

For many children in Missouri, in New York, and throughout the countryside, kindergarten is the first place in which students interact with youth from many cultural backgrounds and where they learn about the world into which they were born. Kindergarten also reinforces and builds reading and math skills which are important tools for our children to have when advancing through the educational system.

The establishment of the first free, public kindergarten in College Point, Queens, New York, has made our Nation stronger.

I thank the gentleman from New York (Mr. Crowley), and I thank the House for considering this bill today.

Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H. Con. Res. 47, commending the establishment of the first kindergarten in the United States, in College Point, N.Y.

This legislation praises Conrad Poppenhusen, the Poppenhusen Institute, and the citizens of College Point, New York, for establishing the first early childhood education institution open to the public, in 1854.

This resolution rightly expresses the sense of Congress that the government should recognize the importance of childhood education, and the social and academic enrichment provided to students through free and public kindergartens throughout the Nation.

Studies commissioned by the Department of Education consistently demonstrate that children who attend kindergarten exhibit higher levels of mathematics and reading skills than those who do not.

Children enrolled in kindergarten have consistently and more rapidly acquired skills necessary for success in an academic environment. Additionally, students enrolled in early childhood education are exposed at an early age to students of different racial, cultural, economic, and religious backgrounds, providing valuable learning experiences and aiding in the social development of our Nation's youth.

Madam Speaker, let me conclude by again expressing my support for this legislation and encouraging my colleagues to support it. The time has come for our government to recognize and honor the establishment of our Nation's kindergartens, the very institutions that equip our children with the knowledge and skills needed to succeed in school and life while also providing a diverse environment in which to learn and grow.