What's Happening in Beverly, MA…

A grant of $1m from the Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care has been awarded to the Beverly Children's Learning Center. This money will be used to renovate a new building on Cabot Street, where the center can expand.

According to Karen Wilk, vice president of the board, the center will also be undergoing a capital campaign to raise another $2.5m to furnish the space.

The Beverly Children’s Learning Center opened in 1973 in St. Peter’s Church’s basement, serving 30 families with affordable childcare and education throughout the year. For the past 10 years, it has been in the Cummings Center, serving 135 children.

According to the executive director of the center, Judy Cody, it has outgrown its current location and the new facility, which covers 16,000 square feet of space, will enable the center to make improvements to its programs and physical environment. This will include classrooms with natural light, more protected outdoor space, and learning and play areas that are appropriate for the ages using them. In addition, it will enable the center to provide early education and care to 24 more children in the community.

The center may be turning to local printing companies to get the word out about the move and expansion, and its ability to accommodate more children once the facility is completed.