Sharonda - Owner and Program Director
I knew education was my passion when I first stepped into a kindergarten classroom and saw all of those curious eyes shinning up at me almost 17 years ago. I was a freshmen in college working as a classroom aide in Lansing Elementary Schools. Since that time I have worked with children in various capacities like tutoring, after school programs, and summer camps. I greatly enjoyed those experiences, however, my passion lies with early childhood education. I have about 17 years of experience in early education, including three years as a teacher's assist and fours years as a Preschool Teacher. I received my associates degree in Child Development from Grand Rapids Community College. I went on to obtain a bachelor's degree in Public and Non-profit Administration with a focus in community development at Grand Valley State University.
I started this program because I wanted to create a space where children are free to learn and explore without being pressured to "get ready" for the next stage of life. I believe childhood should be celebrated and children should be encouraged to enjoy each moment as it happens. My program is built to provide children with a nurturing literacy rich environment where they can build a foundation of emotional and intellectual strength. I support children's social, emotional, physical, language, and cognitive developmental needs and provide them with the opportunity to become independent critical thinkers.
Our relationship with the Earth should be one of respect and gratitude. The Earth provides humanity with soil to grow our food, resources to build our homes, and water to sustain our lives. At Curiosity First we know that reducing our carbon footprint is one way to show gratitude to the earth for all it continuously gives. Curiosity First is committed to reducing the amount of plastic materials we purchase, recycling and reusing materials, and purchasing sustainable, recycled, organic products when possible. We are also committed to providing a meatless menu to help reduce greenhouse gases. Sustainability looks different for everyone - this is what it looks like for us.