We’re excited to celebrate the growth of our Campus community by welcoming the Brenner Family Early Learning Center to the Alexander Grass Campus for Jewish life.

The ELC is a center of learning influenced by its Jewish heritage and dedicated to the principles of social justice and respect for the uniqueness and diversity of each person. Its primary focus is education and serving the needs of young children and their families. The ELC believes that by creating a community of neighbors, people who cooperate with one another, we are responding to a basic need of both parents and children.

The ELC is the third organization to make the move to the Grass Campus full-time (following The Silver Academy and Jewish Federation of Greater Harrisburg’s administrative office). Having previously been located in the basement of the Harrisburg JCC, the recurring theme of “bright, natural light” runs through the teachers’ and staff members’ optimism about the new space.

“It’s a really different feeling,” says Jacquie Wise, ELC Director. “Walking in from the front lobby has more of a grand entrance – and then you walk into the classrooms, where there’s brand new appliances, new floors, and new decorations.”

The school features twelve classrooms (where more than 100 students learn, play, and grow each day) across three floors. The 2nd floor features a large open space, which by popular vote has been christened as the “Playtrium,” which students were introduced to at the Open House.

“They didn’t want to leave,” Jacquie says. “Alll the kids were playing – tunnels, hop scotch, bouncing – they were really excited.”

Jacquie adds that the teachers jumped at the opportunity to inject their personality, style, and flavor into their new classroom spaces.

“The teachers really took a lot of pride in setting up a space that was all their own,” she says. “They worked hard and it paid off, because the families and kids are really excited to learn in these new spaces.”

Keep an eye out for information about more organizations, programs, and services arriving on the Grass Campus in the coming months!