(From the Findlay Family YMCA)
Looking for something warm, low-key, and fun to do with the family on Valentine’s Day weekend? Stop in at the Findlay Family YMCA’s Early Learning Center (ELC) at Cory-Rawson, where we’ll host free a Sweethearts Saturday Open House from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Feb. 15. The public is invited to join us for crafts, cookie decorating, a Scholastic Book Fair, and more.
Cory-Rawson Local School District is located at 3930 County Road 26, Rawson, Ohio. To find the ELC, park in the lot on the east side of the school building and follow the signs to door B8.
The open house will also include tours of the ELC, which opened in fall 2023. Housed in ample and inviting space by the high school, the learning center serves children from infancy through fifth grade and is now a beloved part of Cory-Rawson’s signature, close-knit learning environment that prides itself on its agricultural heritage.
Parent Molly Hosler, who works for the district as a curriculum/instructor and career development director, said she loves having her preschooler, Elena, enrolled in the Y’s ELC program. Getting to see Elena during any given school day and watching her immersion inot interactive, collaborative, and customized learning has been rewarding, she explained.
“Over the 15 months that she has attended, she has bonded with her teachers well, made lots of friends, grown in her social and academic skills, and loves being part of the Cory-Rawson school community,” said Hosler. Elena has been “learning through a variety of exploratory activities in her classroom” and “the ELC staff always communicate about her daily and overall progress, community events, special programs and partnerships that have been invited into the classroom, and the social and academic skills they’re working on.”
“We feel well informed as parents and empowered to continue working on these skills at home. The experience has been so positive that our newborn will be joining the infant room later this year!” Hosler added.
Some activities ELC students have enjoyed include:
A Little Spot Program with Family Resource Center
Programs with the Hancock Park District
Summer swimming at the YMCA
Participating in the Cory-Rawson Art Show
“Dependable and quality childcare and early childhood education are only the tip of the iceberg when I think of the benefits of our partnership with the YMCA,” said Cory-Rawson Superintendent Jason Clark.
Intergenerational learning is also an important program component, benefiting program students and those at the high school who are interested in childcare as a profession.
Clark said high school students are employed at the ELC “with the goal of creating a pipeline of childcare and early childhood education professionals in the region. This relationship is a true partnership valued greatly by our community.”
Cory-Rawson High School student Hannah Reinhart said working at the “has been a great experience.”
“The children have made such a positive impact on me. It has helped me realize that working with a child holds a special place in my heart. It is something that I wish to continue with in the future,” Reinhart said.
“Our partnership with Cory-Rawson is a testament to the power of investing in young leaders,” said Child Development District Director Kari Redman. “The high schoolers who join us are wonderful Early Learning Center assets who bring fresh perspectives and energy for making a difference in young children’s lives.”
Redman remembers “Band Day” at Cory-Rawson as an indelible experience.
“Our little learners went outside to the field with their teachers, who included some of the high schoolers and Cory-Rawson alumni, to watch the band members share their musical talents with the next generation. It was a win-win-win and one of my favorite days ever,” Redman said.
For more information on the YMCA’s ELC at Cory-Rawson, visit YMCA Early Learning Center at Cory-Rawson | Findlay YMCA.