Grand Rapids Early Discovery

For 26 years, Grand Rapids Early Discovery Center (GREDC), formerly the Aquinas College Child Development Center, has provided top-quality, innovative early childhood education to children in the West Michigan community.  Inspired by the Reggio Emilia approach to learning, our program is driven by the enthusiasm and curiosity of children, nationally accredited, and informed by research and developmentally appropriate practice. 

The Mission of GREDC is to continuously expand the potential of children, the experiences of educators and the involvement of families within the diverse community of Grand Rapids, Michigan.  These values guide every aspect of our program, from decisions about daily activities to the organization of our physical space and our choice of location and partnering organizations in downtown Grand Rapids. 

In 1989, GREDC began as a service to students and employees of Aquinas College.  Six years later the center began incorporating principles of the Reggio Emilia approach to learning, which soon became the core of its educational philosophy.  Reggio Emilia celebrates the ideas and abilities of children above all.  Every day, children are encouraged to wonder, explore, collaborate, and investigate as they develop their powers of understanding and self-expression.  A deep sense of community-- among children, between children and adults, and between the center and its surroundings--infuses every activity.  Every learner is a teacher, every teacher a learner.  Parents are crucial to the learning process, as is the physical environment (the “third teacher”).

In 2011, GREDC separated from Aquinas and an independent parent and teacher-led non-profit organization was formed to assume its operations.  The program relocated to its current home, where it is situated within a dynamic cross-section of Grand Rapids communities.  Within a few blocks of our location one can walk along streets lined with magnificent historic homes, or confront some of the highest concentrations of poverty and blight in the city.  Our program resides in the South East Community neighborhood, home to a diverse mix of Black, White, and Hispanic families.  Yet in our neighborhood only 12% of the population has completed any kind of higher education, and 42% lack even a high school diploma.  Right next door, however, the downtown business district is experiencing a dramatic renewal. 

Incomes are low in this neighborhood, but a large majority of residents are employed.  Wages, even for those with 2 or more jobs, simply have not kept pace with the costs of making ends meet.  In too many such situations, high quality childcare is simply not an option.  GREDC’s commitment to our community includes the belief that economic and social investments in the community should bring benefits to all of its residents.  Our program is in an ideal position to contribute to that aim, by offering access to a high quality education network, the most efficient and durable way to expand opportunity.

One year ago, Grand Rapids Early Discovery Center set a goal of opening a second preschool classroom and offering scholarships through the Great Start Readiness Program.  Thanks to your support, we made that goal a reality in January 2015. Now we seek to expand our efforts to bridge communities and cultures through expanded summer programs and workshops for childcare providers. These efforts will expand the benefits of high quality early education beyond our walls, and enhance our efforts to serve as a hub and advocate for the Reggio Emilia approach. 

We have the capacity to immediately and significantly impact the lives of children within our neighborhood.  We have come this far through the commitment of our amazing staff and support of current families.  Your support is crucial as we try to raise $10,000 toward expanded community service programming.