Early Childhood Education Students visit the future First Steps with Abbey

First Steps Centers
Sep 10
2 min read

Last week we had the honor of welcoming around 40 students from Highland Community College’s technical programs. Both the Early Childhood Education program and the Business students came to learn about the story behind First Steps Childhood Learning Center.

I walked them through our current operations at First Steps on Main, sharing how we serve children and families every day. From there, we explored the journey to First Steps with Abbey, where students had the unique opportunity to tour the site mid-construction, hard hats and all!

Together, we discussed:

The heart of our Early Childhood Education program and preparing the next generation of teachers.
The business side of starting, sustaining, and growing a childcare center.
In the morning session, we were blessed to have Prior Leven Harton, O.S.B. from St. Benedict’s Abbey join us. He shared not only the Abbey’s perspective on this partnership, but also gave the students a glimpse into monastic life and the values that guide their community.
In the afternoon session, students heard from Dwight Stephenson, Executive Director of Operations and Finance for St. Benedict’s Abbey. He shared not only the financial and operational side of making this project possible, but also the history of the property. Once an orphanage during the Civil War era, and later a juvenile detention center, it is now, by God’s grace, being renewed into a place that will once again serve children as a joyful, nurturing, and faith-filled center of learning and hope.

This journey began years ago when we participated in our first Communities in Action workshop, hosted by The Family Conservancy, to begin addressing the childcare shortage crisis in our community. Since then, it has been a road full of ups and downs, twists and turns but also filled with purpose and guided by God’s hand.

We are grateful to be able to share not just our successes, but the real process of vision, faith, challenges, and persistence it takes to get here. Our prayer is that these students left inspired about the impact they can have in business, education, and community leadership.