Hannaford Foundation Provides Grant for Windy Hill School Construction
NEW LONDON, N.H., July 6, 2010 - The Hannaford Charitable Foundation and Hannaford Bros. Company has contributed a $5,000 grant toward the completion of the new Windy Hill School, the early childhood laboratory school of Colby-Sawyer College. The school, which provides toddler, nursery school and primary programs, currently serves about 85 children from the greater New London area.
The Hannaford grant was applied to the Windy Hill Challenge, a successful fund-raising campaign sparked by an anonymous donor family's offer to match up to $1 million in gifts toward the school's $2 million construction costs. The campaign has enabled the college to unify the school's programs within one building, as well as increase its space, improve its accessibility, and create an optimal and beautiful teaching and learning environment. The new Windy School was completed in late June 2010.
"The Hannaford Charitable Foundation has a strong interest in investing in the communities served by their grocery stores, and the new Windy Hill School has been an important community resource in the New London area for decades," said Colby-Sawyer College President Tom Galligan. "We're most grateful to the foundation and our local Hannaford's for their interest in helping us meet the challenge and for the opportunity to begin a partnership with them."
Established in 1994, The Hannaford Charitable Foundation provides financial support to nonprofit organizations dedicated to improving the communities where Hannaford operates.
The Windy Hill School, founded on campus in 1976, is an integral part of the college's Child Development Program. Under the direction of Associate Professor of Social Sciences and Education Janet Bliss since its inception, the school is an exemplary model of best practices in early childhood education, widely recognized for its innovation, research and high quality educational programs. The programs are based on the constructivist approach to education, in which classrooms are communities and learning occurs in the context of social activities.
Today the Windy Hill School employs 13 licensed and experienced teachers and provides its traditional toddler, nursery and primary programs, as well as after-school programs for grades one to three and summer programs for children up to age six. Each year 30 to 40 Colby-Sawyer College students, mainly Child Development and Psychology majors, become involved in the school to learn about young children and the institutions that support them, as well as to observe and engage in the children's learning, alongside their teachers and mentors.
The school's new building benefits children and their families, as well as the Colby-Sawyer community. It features classrooms with built-in kitchens and computer work areas, along with unobtrusive observation rooms for faculty and students. Additionally, a seminar room, a technology-enabled or "smart" classroom for child development classes, an early childhood curriculum laboratory and resource library, and faculty offices will both strengthen the college's Social Sciences and Education programs and enhance the learning experiences of Windy Hill children.
Colby-Sawyer College is a comprehensive college that integrates the liberal arts and sciences with professional preparation. Founded in 1837, Colby-Sawyer is located in the scenic Lake Sunapee Region of central New Hampshire. Learn more about the college's vibrant teaching and learning community at www.colby-sawyer.edu.
Colby-Sawyer College, 541 Main Street, New London, N.H. 03257 (603) 526-3000
