GREDC

Welcome to the Grand Rapids Early Discovery Center! 

The GREDC is a non-profit early learning center inspired by the schools of Reggio Emilia, Italy. Our goal is to encourage the social, emotional, physical, intellectual, and aesthetic development of each child within our programs on a daily basis.

Our Mission is to expand the potential of children, experiences of educators, and the involvement of parents within the diverse community of Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Balloons in the Sky. Collaborative painting by Malaguzzi students.

Our Story

Learn about our history, from the early days in the 1980's at Aquinas College to our current campus on Jefferson Ave, right in the heart of Grand Rapids.

The Reggio Emilia Approach

The Reggio Emilia approach is an innovative and inspiring approach to early childhood education. This educational philosophy is focused on preschool and primary education and is described as child centered and constructivist.

Our Classrooms

Each classroom at the GREDC is thoughtfully structured to foster the development, thought and creativity of each child.

Sneak peek into our classrooms

Outdoor Play
Time to play outside, investigate the world, and learn new games is a fun way to explore and grow!
Stained Glass
Children learned about colors and shapes through this fun stained-glass-style project
For the world to see
We take pride in displaying our children's artwork!
Building
Activities that encourage building expand the child's curiosity and critical thinking
Raised Bed
Children learned about plants, growth, and sustainability while playing and planting in raised beds.
Time for a chat
Interactions with other children helps develop social skills from an early age
Dragon Project
Children not only work on individual projects, but also group activities
Masterpiece
Each child is a masterpiece, and these self portraits reflect just that!
Participation is Key
Our classrooms feature engagement, activity, and lots of movement -- An ideal place for young minds to blossom!

What parents say about the GREDC

The child-centered mission and the dedication and expertise of the staff quickly made GREDC a second home for our son. The staff is kind, patient, and positive in all of their interactions, corrections, and guidance; we have learned positive parenting approaches simply from listening to staff/student interactions at drop off and pick up. All of the staff members are highly communicative, always honoring parent concerns and working with us and our child in productive ways. Most important to us, our son LOVES going to "school" each day! He takes great pride in the creative activities that the students and teachers co-imagine and craft, feeling ownership because the children's voices and interests lead instruction. Having our son at GREDC is the best decision we could have made for his preschool experience.
Lisa
We love the team at EDC. The children have really connected with staff and other children and everyday explore and engage with something new. They are great partners with us as a family; helping our children grow and thrive. Keep on charging! We love what you all do, everyday!
Greg
The GREDC is filled with loving staff that really care about the development of your child. From the food they serve to the games they play, every lesson and every minute is planned intentionally to create an environment that brings the most our of them. I wish all preschools followed this approach!
Monica
We weren't sure at first about the Reggio Emilia approach, but after doing our own research we found many examples of parents who believe this is one of the best models for early childhood education. And we couldn't be happier that we made that choice! We'd seen our son blossom in amazing ways. Thank you GREDC!
Bryce
My favorite thing about our daughter attending the GREDC is the stories about her adventures in class each day. It's truly a joy to hear her share how exciting it is to go to school each day and learn something new. The care and love of the teachers is evident!
Stephanie

Ready to learn more?

Nondiscriminatory Policy – Grand Rapids Early Discovery Center admits students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school.  It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national and ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic and other school-administered programs.

Lauren Huyck

Mentor Teacher

B.S in psychology and writing
A.A. in early childhood education
Teaching since 2010

My name is Lauren Huyck and I am the afternoon lead for the Scoperta classroom. I started as a teaching assistant when the center was still part of Aquinas in 2010. When we became the GREDC in 2012, I stayed on. In 2014, I was excited to accept the role of lead teacher.

I have a Bachelors in psychology and writing, and an associates in early childhood education. I am currently working on getting a Masters in psychology with a concentration in child development.

I love seeing the children grow and learn. There are so many developmental milestones that I get to see and experience. I fell in love with the Reggio approach and work to incorporate it in all my experiences with children. It has definitely taught me to treat children as citizens of the world.

I honestly could go on about how much I love the work I do and how passionate I feel about every child having quality care but that would take eons. So I will end with these two quotes:

“To take children seriously is to value them for who they are right now rather than adults-in-the-making.”

Alfie Kohn

If you trust play, you will not have to control your child’s development as much. Play will raise the child in ways you can never imagine.

Vince Gowmon