The Powerhouse in Durango is about six months from launching its new child care program – WonderLab Early Learning – tailored for children ages 18 months to 5 years old.
The Powerhouse is in the middle of renovating a 3,300-square-foot space in what used to be administrative offices on its campus directly south of its main building, a historic former electrical plant that hosts interactive learning exhibits and a slew of educational children’s programs.
Families interested in enrolling their children in the WonderLab Early Learning program attended a tour and information session Sunday where they were offered a first look at the developing child care center.
Slots in the program are available through a lottery system that closes on Friday, and tuition will be based on a sliding income scale, said Jeff Susor, Powerhouse executive director. Prospective families can apply at no cost through an online application form at bit.ly/40nQ1cE.
Elanor Meeker, assistant director of education at the Powerhouse, said the goal is to keep tuition 10% or less of an enrolled family’s income, and it will incorporate Colorado Child Care Assistance Program funding.
There is a one-time default $450 registration fee that will also be on a sliding income scale, she said.
She said there will be one toddler classroom for children aged 18 months to 27 months, one transitional preschool room for children aged 2½ to 3 years old, and a preschool room for children aged 3 to 5 years old.
The program will have two toddler teachers with a one-to-five teacher-to-toddler ratio; two lead preschool teachers with a one-to-eight ratio for the transitional preschool classroom and a one-to-10 ratio for the preschool classroom, she said.
Full-time and part-time slots are available, with three to four part-time slots in each classroom for families who would like to enroll their children in the program for two or three days per week, she said.
In addition to classrooms and administrative rooms, plans for the child care center include two fenced playgrounds and a solar awning providing shade and power, Susor said.
The Powerhouse is also building a museum to complement the child care center, and the main preschool playground will be “museum-quality, museum-scale” designed as a natural play space, he said.
“Instead of building a swing set (out of) metal or plastic, the playground is made up of logs and rocks and sand and natural materials,” he said. “It’s a little more open ended, creative exploration space for kids rather than ‘this is a slide you slide on, here’s a swing set you swing on.’”
He said the intent is to create a space for children to engage and explore a natural environment – a reflection of Durango’s values and lifestyle.
“Our educational model approach here is very much going to align with the powerhouse mission of sparking and igniting curiosity,” Meeker said as she led parents through the center’s entrance hall.
She said the program’s focus will be on play- and nature-based experiential learning with an emphasis on relationships to community and a sense of place with STEM-based project learning.
Meeker is still in the hiring process. She said she has nearly selected an assistant director, and there are a number of graduates from Fort Lewis College’s Early Childcare Education program who are interested in working at WonderLab Early Learning.
cburney@durangoherald.com
