YMCA early childhood program shows off its new home

MARQUETTE TOWNSHIP — The YMCA of Marquette County’s early childhood and preschool program is settling into its new home.

At the start of the year, the program relocated to the former State Farm insurance agency building on Wright Street in Marquette Township. The program is accredited through the National Association for the Education of Young Children.

“There are only two centers in the U.P. that hold that title and the Y is one of them, so our quality of care is very high,” YMCA of Marquette County program development leader Laura Murawski said. “We have (a) great ratio (of) students to teachers, and we do follow a curriculum here with the kids, so it’s very hands–on learning for the children.”

The center has five classrooms and has programs for kids from six weeks old up to age five. Once the snow melts, it’ll also have a brand–new playground built which it received grant funding for.

“It gives us a lot more outdoor space,” Murawski said. “Our classrooms are also about double the size in here (that we had previously), so we have much more room for the kids to play inside and outside.”

The Lake Superior Community Partnership held a ribbon–cutting for the early childhood center this morning.