Penn College News

Employees celebrate 'back to school' with Children's Learning Center

Thursday, August 29, 2024

Photos by Jennifer Cline, writer/magazine editor

Gathered together to mark the occasion, families and Children's Learning Center staff endure surprise raindrops. "Ready, set ... learn, play, grow!"

The Dunham Children’s Learning Center hosted a “back to school” employee engagement event for employees whose children attend the on-campus early childhood education center.

Designed to help welcome and connect the center’s employee parents, the event provided photos ops with the Wildcat.

Hillary Hofstrom, vice president of people and culture at the college, whose departments include the Children’s Learning Center, noted the shortfall in the number of qualified early care and education providers across the U.S.

“Our country is facing a child care shortage crisis, so having this service here on our campus for our students and employees is a great benefit for them to know their children have reliable and excellent care and education for their little ones while they are at work and/or school,” Hofstrom said.

Children eagerly interact with the Wildcat.
Linda A. Reichert (on left), director of the Children’s Learning Center, captures a first-week-back memory for Jordan N. Frantz, senior accountant, and son.
While one child offers a pinky-to-pinky greeting, another is ready to share the love with a pawprint sticker – applied, appropriately, to Wildcat’s paw.
A buddy worth looking up to.