In a joint effort with Masonic Village, U-GRO Learning Centres will break ground in 2018 on a new facility in Elizabethtown. The Elizabethtown center will be located at the Shrine Road entrance to Masonic Village’s campus, offering full- and part-time programs for children 6 weeks to 8 years old.
“We look forward to welcoming the greater Elizabethtown area community to U-GRO’s exceptional learning experiences,” said Greg Holsinger, president and CEO of the family-owned company. “With kindergarten readiness scores of 96.8 percent, this new center will allow us to provide the best possible start in life for even more children in south-central Pennsylvania.”
Expected to employ 30+ staff, the new U-GRO center is the sixth U-GRO location in Lancaster County and represents a more than $3 million investment. Intergenerational programs with residents of the retirement community will be a vital piece of this partnership. U-GRO currently has successful intergenerational programs at four of its established locations.
“We have been providing daycare for our staff and the community for 26 years,” said Cindy Phillips, executive director for Masonic Village. “While we remain committed to providing a convenient day care option for our staff and intergenerational activities for our residents, we believe a more convenient location for that is at the entrance to our campus.” Part of a larger master planning process, this decision also removes Masonic Village from the support and day-to-day operation of the business.
Planned for a spring 2019 opening, the new center will feature a 13,500 square foot state-of-the-art outdoor playground, as well as an indoor gym with 2,000 square feet of play space. It will contain 10 classrooms – one for infants, five for toddlers and four for preschoolers – to accommodate up to 148 children. Before and after school care and a summer camp program will continue to be offered, as well as the full-day kindergarten if substantial enrollment remains.
To experience what the new Elizabethtown location will be like, take a virtual tour of our state-of-the-art facilities.