Every person, no matter their age, deserves access to an educational program that will help them develop into healthy, contributing citizens. This is a concept the Building Blocks organization of Indiana strongly believes in. That is why they make it their mission to improve the accessibility, affordability, and quality of child care throughout the state. They hope to equip every child from an early age with the resources needed to be successful.
When the Goodwill Excel Center in Evansville, Indiana, decided to convert an old shopping center into a state-of-the-art facility for students going back to school for their high school diploma, they gave Building Blocks CEO and President Aleisha Wilson a call. They wanted her expertise and support as they turned an empty room into a drop-in child care center for enrolled students.
This article will highlight the transformation of the Goodwill Excel Center’s drop-in child care facility and Aleisha’s experience working alongside Kaplan to create a top-notch classroom environment that supports the education of young children and their parents.
Creating a plan for a drop-in child care center at the Goodwill Excel Center.
The students who enroll in classes at the Goodwill Excel Center are going back to school to obtain their high school diploma instead of a GED. As they worked on their own education and personal growth, Aleisha and the administrative staff of the Goodwill Excel Center knew they wanted to create a space that made the students feel special.
“These families are showing their children the value of education,” says Aleisha. “We want these parents to see a beautiful space where they will leave their children for a few hours while they further their education. We want them to be excited about investing in themselves and their children.”
In 2022, with renovations well underway at the Goodwill Excel Center campus, Aleisha went in to look at the drop-in child care space. She spoke with administrative staff about their wants and needs for the program. She left feeling excited about the opportunities that would soon be possible for the families, children, and community in Vanderburgh and surrounding counties.
“The new director was not yet at the center, and the administrative staff were not well versed in early childhood education,” says Aleisha. “Understanding licensing regulations and drop-in versus full-time care was all a bit more than the Excel Center staff expected.”
Aleisha’s goal throughout the planning process was to help the administrative staff understand how to design a functional space that meets the Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale (ECERS) guidelines and state licensing regulations. She also shared with staff the importance of the classroom environment and how it supports early childhood education and growth, even if a child is only in the environment one day per week.
“The classroom environment needs to be functional, and we are very intentional about everything we put into a space,” says Aleisha. “When it came time to put our design ideas into fruition in early spring 2024, there was no question who we would call for support – Kaplan! Working with a Kaplan sales representative who is also well-versed in early childhood education is so helpful.”
Working with Kaplan on the Goodwill Excel Center’s drop-in child care space.
The goal for the Goodwill Excel Center’s drop-in childcare space was to blend age-appropriate furnishings and materials that would make the space feel natural and home-like. Because children from multiple age groups could be in attendance at any given time, the space would also need to have separate areas where children can safely learn and play. Aleisha knew her Kaplan sales representative would see those needs and state licensing requirements.
“Educators don’t always understand the ‘why’ behind furniture in the classroom,” shares Aleisha. “While those of us who have been in the field for years automatically get it, someone hired straight out of high school or who has never set up classrooms on this level may not understand the importance of the classroom environment and program quality.”
The partnership between Kaplan and Building Blocks began years ago, and Aleisha credits Kaplan’s sales team’s knowledge of early childhood education as one key factor keeping this partnership going strong today. With her plans for the Goodwill Excel Center’s drop-in child care center in mind, Aleisha met with her Kaplan sales representative in the spring of 2024 to get a custom quote and renderings.
“I asked Della, my Kaplan sales rep, for a ‘Cadillac quote’ for the drop-in center,” says Aleisha. “I wanted to know the cost if there were no limits on furnishings and no cut corners.”
After their meeting, Aleisha’s sales representative came by the Goodwill Excel Center to take pictures of the space and see for herself the potential of the drop-in child care program. The sales representative created digital renderings of the space, which depicted potential learning center configurations, furnishing placements, and essentials to fill the space.
“The renderings that Della made were beautiful,” shares Aleisha. “We wanted the very best for Goodwill Excel students and their children, and Kaplan delivered on that.”
While the Goodwill Excel space is unique because it must serve children from birth to school age, Kaplan provided everything the staff would need to support the growth and development of any child that walks through the classroom door. The drop-in center incorporates the Reading Tree and 4 Benches, the Illumination Station, an Inspire Interactive Panel, and various furnishings and learning materials.
Each learning center for the various age groups contains materials that support literacy, science, math, social, and emotional development. The classroom configurations allow the children to play in an age-appropriate setting while also providing pathways for them to explore other areas as they get older.
Securing funding to move the project forward.
After seeing the renderings and agreeing to move forward, it was time to secure the roughly $50,000 to bring this drop-in space to life. The Goodwill Excel Center had some of their own funds to put toward the space, but it wasn’t enough to cover the total cost.
“As an agency, we always try to find the ‘yes’ for our clients,” says Aleisha.
At the end of March 2024, the University of Evansville received federal funding to create the Evansville Promise Neighborhood. This funding source provides high-quality services and support to improve educational opportunities, increase jobs, and expand economic development in and around Evansville, Indiana. The Building Blocks agency secured some of this funding to cover the remaining cost of the Goodwill Excel Center’s drop-in child care project.
Opening the Goodwill Excel Center Evansville Southeast’s drop-in child care program.
With secure funding and a plan, it was time for Kaplan to fulfill the Goodwill Excel Center’s drop-in child care order and deliver their classroom essentials and furnishings. Due to order eligibility, Kaplan’s K-Truck white-glove service and delivery team took over the shipping, assembling, and staging of all items to prepare the space for opening day.
The Goodwill Excel Center opened in September 2024, and the drop-in child care program opened shortly after in October 2024.
“At this time, the drop-in center is just for parents and students of the Goodwill Excel Center,” says Aleisha. “This is a service to those students, one they don’t have to pay for.”
At the time of writing this article, the Goodwill Excel Center has 130 registered adult students in its high school diploma program. Aleisha shared that a plan is in place to showcase the new facility to the community, hoping that word of mouth will increase student and drop-in child care enrollment.
Access to a quality childcare environment is a major benefit for the adult students enrolled in the high school diploma program at the Goodwill Excel Center. Between classes, they can stop in and sit with their child/ren to play or read stories, allowing these parents to see positive examples of appropriate child behavior and development.
“These children now have access to high-quality materials, and their parents can see what they should look for down the road as they search for full-time care,” says Aleisha. “This space also gives parents a positive example of what their child should do at all ages and how they can interact and play with them at home.”
Aleisha’s advice for anyone going through the classroom design and purchasing process:
“My best advice would be to partner with experts in early learning,” says Aleisha. “You will have a much stronger facility and classroom because those experts know what to consider. There is intentionality behind everything in a classroom, and Kaplan does a great job incorporating those aspects in an age-appropriate manner.”
Ready to start the process of furnishing your new early childhood center?
The classroom environment greatly impacts the experiences that happen within its four walls. It also plays a significant role in how parents, families, and the community view a facility and their level of trust in its quality of care.
Whether it is high-quality furnishings or age-appropriate classroom configurations, there is much to consider as you design spaces for early childhood education. Kaplan’s sales representatives are well-versed in early childhood education, some of whom have been teachers themselves, and they can help you take the guesswork out of this overwhelming process. To connect with your local representative, please visit our website.
Want to see more early childhood classroom transformations?
Explore East Gate Kids in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
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