In support of the Department of Defense’s new universal preschool program, which provides preschool education to military families around the world, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Louisville District equipped more than 200 classrooms worldwide with furniture and curriculum ahead of the new program’s re-introduction. academic year.

“Between June and September of this year, Louisville County equipped DoDEA with 204 classrooms in 76 schools in 13 different countries,” said Jared Korfhage, Louisville County program manager. “This was a significant undertaking, but our team, with the help of our DoDEA partners, rose to the challenge, and Louisville County is proud to be a part of it.”

DoDEA is a federally administered school system that is responsible for planning, directing, coordinating, and administering educational programs from pre-kindergarten through 12th grade on behalf of the Department of Defense. Earlier this year, they announced the creation of a Universal Preschool at multiple locations for the 2024-2025 school year. The Louisville District team worked closely with DoDEA and their schools to provide support for furniture, fixtures and equipment (FF&E) and curriculum items for all UPK grades in 76 elementary schools that will help advance DoDEA’s foundational DoDEA platform. .

“The successful implementation of universal preschool at 76 locations in the 2024-2025 school year is a shining example of teamwork and dedication,” said Yvette Blake, DoDEA Asset Management Chief for Supply Chain Policy. “DoDEA Logistics Supply Policy The Asset Management Division and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Louisville District worked hand in hand to achieve the ambitious goals of this important initiative. As a dynamic duo, the two organizations complemented each other’s strengths – together they took on the responsibility of equipping each school with the necessary furniture. and training materials, and provided logistics and infrastructure expertise to ensure timely and efficient implementation. This partnership required constant communication, problem solving, and coordination to overcome challenges and meet deadlines. Together, they ensured that the first phase of UPK’s rollout was stunning. success by creating the basis for equal access to preschool education for all eligible four-year-olds. The combined efforts of these teams have truly paved the way for a bright future for DoDEA’s youngest students.”

This UPK initiative marks the first phase of a comprehensive three-phase plan to improve early childhood education in the DoDEA school system. While some schools under DoDEA previously offered Sure Start and part-time kindergarten to eligible families, this marks the first time DoDEA will open a Pre-K program to all elementary schools.

“Discussions on the project began in April 2023 with DoDEA Logistics and Education. We have received funding for three supply contracts—one for each DoDEA region: the Americas, Europe and the Pacific—to ensure coverage of all schools and their various locations,” Korfhage said. “Each UPC class received an identical set of furniture and curriculum items, as well as a set of outdoor furniture specific to each school. The contracts also included delivery and installation of each activity kit. We needed to have all of this completed in time for the teachers to return in August/September 2024.”

Meeting ambitious deadlines requires careful coordination and teamwork.

“Our goal was to ensure that all furniture and curriculum installations were completed by the time preschool teachers returned from summer break, which varied by DoDEA region,” Korfhage said. “The final installation was successfully completed on September 6th. Of the 76 sites, only three experienced delays in opening UPK, and these delays were due to delivery issues beyond the control of the government or the contractor.”

The Louisville County Facilities team had not taken on such a task before. The scale of the project, coupled with the challenges encountered in integrating curriculum subjects, sets it apart from previous projects.

“The whole project was unique,” ​​Korfhage said. “While we were already familiar with purchasing furniture for typical DoDEA schools, the curriculum aspect presented new challenges. We had never purchased training materials for DoDEA before, so we had to dedicate extra time to ensure they were of the quality and standard expected.”

However, no project is without obstacles, and this one was no exception. Throughout the process, the team overcame several unexpected challenges.

“There were several challenges, but the biggest one was logistics. Products were purchased from suppliers throughout the U.S., consolidated in a coastal warehouse, and then loaded into shipping containers for shipment to various locations around the world,” Korfhage said. “While we anticipated some delivery challenges, given our international logistics experience from previous DoDEA outfitting projects, we could never have fully prepared for the obstacles we encountered this summer—from a UPK container falling into port to a typhoon, hurricane, and workers’ strike.” .

In the face of these challenges, communication became the key to the team’s success.

“The team maintained constant communication, even when team members were in different countries and time zones,” Korfhage said. “This was particularly important in June and July when most of the deliveries and installations took place. We had to train others to step up and with everything happening at once, new challenges, questions and problems arose daily, so it was important that everyone stayed connected to effectively manage and overcome these obstacles. Whether the news was positive or negative, we made it a point to share and respond to it immediately.”

USACE and DoDEA have a long-standing partnership. USACE serves as DoDEA’s construction contracting agent, and since 2014, the Louisville District has overseen contracting and furnishings.

“The USACE and DoDEA partnership has been extensive and extensive. Both organizations’ headquarters management facilitated extensive weekly communication to the point where we could discuss progress in detail with anyone at any time,” said Colleen Crum, Louisville County Project Manager. “Mr. Robert Brady, Chief Operating Officer of DoDEA, in his personal thanks to each member of the equipment team, noted how Louisville District Commander Col. Rain Mann’s constant statements of a “failure-free mission” allowed us to circumvent “significant obstacles beyond our control” by observing USACE is “preparing DoDEA for success.”

The DoDEA team included Yvette Blake, Nina Moten, Anthony Pope, Joshua Noble and Michelle Alexander. In addition to Korfhage and Crum, USACE’s project delivery team also included contract specialist Rachel McClellan. In addition, to manage multiple sites on a tight schedule, several additional USACE team members from various offices assisted with verification of the installation checklist.

“We are proud to work with DoDEA, and the success of the 24-25 UPK project simply demonstrates the power of teamwork, dedication and collaboration. There was a lot of uncertainty when we embarked on this project, but from day one the entire team remained committed to meeting the requirements of our mission,” said Korfhage. “After one of the most difficult years I have ever faced, I am proud to say: mission accomplished!”