More states are recognizing that preschool is a vital first step toward helping children succeed in school. Ensuring that preschoolers have a high quality early learning experience provides them with the skills they need for later school success. In New Jersey, the poorest school districts have been collaborating with community-based child care centers to implement this program. But the process of moving beyond health and safety licensing standards, improving the education levels of teachers, and using nationally recognized, research based curricula has been a difficult challenge. The Newark Lighthouse Initiative sought to assist three child care centers in Newark to achieve the changes that would raise their quality level. This innovative project was intended to serve as a model for preschool programs across New Jersey and around the nation. By striving to provide children with the best possible early education, the initiative would help centers set the stage for later school success. This report details the experience of these three preschools and the lessons learned on the road to building model preschools. (Contains 10 footnotes.)