WNDU: Hubbard Hill to bring seniors & students together with addition of Early Learning Center
From WNDU-TV South Bend – May 10, 2021
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ELKHART, Ind. (WNDU) – For years, Hubbard Hill in Elkhart has been home to many senior citizens. But in the Fall of 2022, it will also be a new home to Granger’s Early Learning Center.
“We want everyone to know that the Early Learning Center and Granger Community Church is going to be moving their operations here, and Hubbard will assume that,” Hubbard Hill Living Wisdom Community CEO Patrick Pingel announced Monday.
The new partnership will not only create a new space to build a state of the art school on Hubbard Hill’s campus, but also will bring senior citizens and young students together.
“Everyday the children at the Early Learning Center will have an opportunity to engage, connect with the seniors that live at Hubbard Hill and vice versa,” Pingel says.
There will also be room for intergenerational learning and programs many schools have not seen before, which is why Early Learning Center director Mandy Gibbons says she cannot wait to get started.
“We feel so humble to take something that we already thought that was pretty great and high quality and now be able to make it even better, and to jump board and do intergenerational living, which after a pandemic is incredible,” Gibbons says.
With the project currently in the design stage, and a new name, Early Learning Center at Hubbard Hill, on the way, parents like Ginny Vanderbeek and Melissa VanOrt say their excited to see the community come together in such a unique way.
“We just feel like coming here is just going to be even better than what we’ve had our experience be which has been amazing,” Vanderbeek says.
“To see this campus here and all the opportunities they will have that they will provide here is super exciting. We are thrilled for the chance to send our son here in 2022,” VanOrt says.
The project is expected to cost nearly $5 million dollars to complete. Construction is expected to begin this upcoming fall with the new Early Learning Center to be up and fully operational by the fall of 2022.