After cuts to the Ingham Intermediate School District threatened to force the dissolution of the 2,700 square foot Galileo childcare center in Mason, Cora and David Zink decided to take over the operation.
Now, the Zinks are enrolling three and four year olds in the renamed Renaissance Early Childhood Center. Not only has the name changed, but the curriculum has as well.
“The main difference in the programs is that this is child-driven rather than thematic,” says Cora Zink. “Other programs would have a planned program, but we really cue into what the children’s natural interests are, and if we notice that there’s a pattern and that several children are becoming interested in it, we really focus on it.”
The Zinks plan on adding summer programs and creating a resource room for parents on the upper floor.
“I think this space is very suitable for so many camps — reading, writing, math, science. I think it could be a really valuable part of the community,” she says.
The Zinks will keep the classroom size to 15 students, hosting one class in the morning and one in the afternoon. Classes will start Sept. 14. The Renaissance Early Childhood Center will host an open house from 6 to 8 p.m., Wednesday, Aug. 5. The center is located at 2949 Sandhill Road in Mason.
Source: Cora Zink, Renaissance Early Childhood Center
Ivy Hughes is the managing editor of Capital Gains and can be reached here.
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