The Early Childhood Center Learning Lab will provide a designated space for Hudsonville Public Schools' youngest learners, giving them an opportunity to develop and practice fundamental skills for classroom readiness through imaginative play. 

What does imaginative play have to do with education? Everything! 

The Early Childhood Center is home to the district's 3-year-old preschool, 4-year-old preschool, pre-kindergarten, and early childhood special education program. Developmentally, children in this age group are building the foundational neuropathways in their brains by taking in the world and experiences around them. 

By giving students the opportunity to integrate what they are learning in the classroom with play, they begin to put those skills into practice. Imagine students sorting like colored vegetables, matching ingredients to a recipe card, or counting the number of items in their carts. These are all critical learning building blocks. 

The list of skills gained in this educational setting extends to developing higher-order thinking skills such as communication, negotiation, cooperation, delegation, and the transfer of knowledge across situations. Imagine students sailing the ocean blue on their ship, and only one captain can steer the ship at a time while others are busy working the sails, keeping a lookout, or catching fish. These are lifelong skills being developed at a very young age through the benefit of imaginative play. 

Currently, the Early Childhood Center lacks a space for students to practice these skills. With the renovation and addition of square footage to the building, there is an opportunity to address the gap in learning through imaginative play with a designated space. 

We need your help in raising $5,000 to purchase the items needed to create an engaging environment for our youngest learners. Every donation, large or small, will make a big impact in helping to outfit the new  Learning Lab!