Meaning adventure, Avventura begins as a toddler classroom and loops into a young preschool classroom. Students are venturing further away from their primary caregivers and learning to navigate their environment and peers.
I first started working at the GREDC while attending Aquinas College. After graduating with a Bachelor’s in English, I realized my heart felt an incredible pull towards a long-term career here. I began working in Avventura as a Lead Teacher while working towards receiving my Infant/Toddler CDA, which I earned in June 2023.
Working alongside the children at the GREDC is one of the most rewarding jobs I could ever ask for. I’m so grateful for the wonderful children, families, and coworkers I have built lasting relationships with!
It fascinates me how attentive young children can be while out in nature. A study of mushrooms is not what I would have predicted. But, at the same time, why am I surprised by children’s natural curiosity and desire to learn about these strange little things that pop up out of the ground!?
Avventura were recently gifted an electronic “disposable” camera. This piece of technology has proven to be an interesting topic of discussion and exploration in the class.
My name is Lauren Huyck and I am the afternoon lead for the Scoperta classroom. I started as a teaching assistant when the center was still part of Aquinas in 2010. When we became the GREDC in 2012, I stayed on. In 2014, I was excited to accept the role of lead teacher.
I have a Bachelors in psychology and writing, and an associates in early childhood education. I am currently working on getting a Masters in psychology with a concentration in child development.
I love seeing the children grow and learn. There are so many developmental milestones that I get to see and experience. I fell in love with the Reggio approach and work to incorporate it in all my experiences with children. It has definitely taught me to treat children as citizens of the world.
I honestly could go on about how much I love the work I do and how passionate I feel about every child having quality care but that would take eons. So I will end with these two quotes:
“To take children seriously is to value them for who they are right now rather than adults-in-the-making.”
Alfie Kohn
If you trust play, you will not have to control your child’s development as much. Play will raise the child in ways you can never imagine.
Vince Gowmon
