Get to know the Children's Enrichment Center
By Grace Hasley
The Children’s Enrichment Center (CEC), a department of the Division of Student Affairs, is an on-campus childcare center that provides care and early education for the children of students, university faculty and staff, and other community members. If you're a student or staff member with a child, or you know someone who is, the CEC is here to support you.
Being located on a college campus allows the CEC to partner with different GVSU departments to provide unique learning experiences like science experiments, field trips to the Kindschi Greenhouse, and adventures through the arboretum trails.
“Anything we are learning in the classroom, there’s a hands-on opportunity,” says Daphnea Sutherland, CEC director.
Not only does the CEC benefit the children and their families, but student employees can expand skills for their future careers. The CEC also provides GVSU students studying education with valuable hands-on learning experiences and job opportunities. CEC student employees gain experience and volunteer hours while building connections with people on campus.
We’re learning just as much as the kids are learning," says CEC preschool teacher Shelby O'Brien.
Juggling school, work, and a family can be overwhelming. The Children’s Enrichment Center is here to make parents' lives a little bit easier and to give kids a unique learning experience that they won't find anywhere else. Tell a friend, or contact the center for your child care needs today!
“Childcare on campus has been a huge blessing for me. Being able to only have to go to campus to drop [my child] off and then catch the bus to class at CHS [downtown Grand Rapids] is so convenient in the mornings. I feel very appreciative of the CEC. They are flexible and they always work with your schedule, especially with breaks. I cannot express enough how much of a help the CEC has been in achieving my educational goals.”
Elizabeth S.
Meet a Few Members of the Team!
