Spotlight on Young Years Christian Preschool: Playing, learning, and growing in God’s love.
There’s something pretty special about a preschool mission that can be summed up in three simple things: play, learn, and grow in God’s love. That’s the heart of Young Years Christian Preschool in Kennewick, Washington, where those three ideas shape the everyday experience for students and staff.
Earlier this year, we had the absolute pleasure of hearing from Abby Hays, former director of Young Years Christian Preschool, who shared a little more about what makes the school special, what they’ve been working on, and how being part of the ELEA community has supported them along the way.
A Place to Play, Learn and Grow
For Young Years, preparing children for school is only part of the picture. Their approach brings together academic learning and hands-on activities to help children build skills and confidence they can carry with them beyond the classroom.
And at the center of it all is a mission that the preschool comes back to each day.
“To Play, To Learn, To Grow in God’s Love.” We strive to live by this mission statement each and every day at Young Years Christian Preschool.
Making Life a Little Easier for Families
Not every meaningful improvement at a school happens in the classroom.
For Young Years, one of their recent wins has been moving their registration process online. The change has made registration faster and more efficient for families, and it’s already getting a positive response.
Providing this feature on our website has allowed for a faster and more efficient registration process. Our families love it!
Proof that even a small change really can make everyone’s day a little easier!
Finding Community in the Challenges
Young Years has also spent the last few years working to grow enrollment, something many early childhood programs can relate to.
Through the ELEA website’s group chats, Abby and the Young Years community have been able to connect with other programs working through similar challenges. Those conversations have provided a place to compare ideas, find encouragement, and remember that they aren’t the only ones figuring things out as they go.
Having access to group chats through the ELEA website has been extremely insightful as we have worked to increase our enrollment numbers over the last few years. Seeing that other programs were also experiencing the same challenges helped us to stay positive and find creative ways to adjust our program to meet the needs of our community.
Support Beyond the Classroom
The connection with ELEA has also been useful for some of the behind-the-scenes work that comes with running a preschool. Young Years has turned to ELEA resources while updating some of their processes. Those resources have given them practical support as they continue to shape and strengthen their program.
The ELEA has been a great resource for us while we worked on updating our guiding documents and job descriptions for our preschool program.
What’s Next for Young Years?
There’s plenty to look forward to as Young Years heads into another school year!
At the time, the preschool was in the process of hiring a new Preschool Director. As they moved through that transition, they looked towards ELEA’s professional development and training opportunities. They also hope to attend an ELEA conference in the future and are looking forward to using the ELEA Chapel Guide during the upcoming school year!
At Young Years, growth isn’t just about getting ready for the next grade. It’s about giving children a place where they can play, discover, learn, and grow surrounded by God’s love.
And for the Young Years community, that simple mission continues to guide the work they do each day:
To Play. To Learn. To Grow in God’s Love.
Learn More About Young Years Christian Preschool
https://www.yypreschool.org/
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