I have been working at the Grand Rapids Early Discovery Center since October 2021. I am currently serving as the Program Director, working closely with Angie, our Operations Director, and Tom, our Pedagogista. In my role, I have the opportunity to be in the classrooms with children, supporting teachers and getting to know families. I help with the day to day programming needs and communicate with staff and families through email updates, Facebook, postings, and in person conversations. Ensuring that children and parents feel secure and receive sufficient communication about the happenings at the EDC is my priority. I oversee enrollment, DHHS and GSRP reporting, and scheduling for teachers at the center.
As a parent, I have been a part of this community since 2017 when we enrolled our first son in the Vita Mia classroom. Since then, all three of our children have had the opportunity to enjoy play-based learning alongside loving, knowledgeable, and experienced educators. As a former teacher, my passion lies in inquiry based, child led learning where children feel motivated and excited to learn. It is refreshing to work with other educators who share this passion.
I received a bachelors degree from Calvin University in Elementary Education, in addition to an Early Childhood endorsement and a Spanish major. I also earned my Masters degree in Child Development from MSU about ten years ago. I have close to 15 years of teaching experience, mainly with children ages 3-6. I have worked at all types of schools; including an environmental science based school, a Great Start to Readiness preschool program in Kentwood, a farm school in Ada, and a childcare center in town. I also taught outdoor, nature-based classes at Wilcox Park with young children and their families. This supports my philosophy that children learn best outdoors and alongside their peers, through hands-on child led learning.
In the fall of 2022, I had the opportunity to travel to Reggio Emilia with other educators from the EDC to increase my knowledge of the philosophy that inspires and guides both our teaching and view of the child. I look forward to next steps in advocacy for young children and their families and continuing my work at the GREDC.
