The private day care center and preschool has implemented new forms of technology to aid students’ learning and enhance safety over the last year.
The overview
Children’s Lighthouse provides day care and education for infants and toddlers six weeks to two years old as well as preschoolers ages two to five. The tuition-based center offers after-school programming for ages five to 12 and camps during school breaks and the summer.
Through a play-to-learn curriculum, children complete hands-on activities alongside their teachers based on what they’re learning each week, Children's Lighthouse Brushy Creek owner Noor Attia said. Children may play with toys created by Children’s Lighthouse to learn science, technology, reading, engineering, art and math, also known as STREAM.
Children may also use the center's splash pad, age-specific playgrounds and participate in outdoor curriculum through activities such as yoga.
The background
Attia discovered the Children’s Lighthouse franchise after looking for a day care for her son. She opened Children’s Lighthouse off Brushy Creek Road alongside her siblings after developing a love for the company’s curriculum, Attia said.
The 12-hour day care has grown from serving about 10 children during the pandemic in 2020 to up to 190 children each day, she said.
“Some of these kids are here anywhere from eight to 10 hours a day,” Attia said. “I definitely want them to feel like they're part of our family here.”
The features
At the end of last year, Children’s Lighthouse began partnering with PBS Kids to provide iPads for children to play games on for limited time periods, Attia said. Students in the after-school program, known as xSTREAM Quest, can play games through a new interactive TV board.
“Putting in a little bit of a technology-based curriculum is important,” Attia said. “If they are going to be playing with electronics or technology, we definitely want them to be proactive in learning something from what they're playing.”
The day care installed a security system that uses artificial intelligence to detect and notify authorities of a potential threat.
Additionally, Children’s Lighthouse offers parents access to a livestream video of their children’s classroom. The system provides a sense of security to parents who are new to sending their children to day care, Attia said.
Looking ahead
The Cedar Park business plans to install digital boards outside classrooms to inform parents with updates on their child's curriculum and calendar.
Moving forward, Children’s Lighthouse will continue to evolve its curriculum, Attia said.
“Our goal is always how can we make this better,” Attia said. “Children this age and time are a lot different than children 10 years ago. It's constantly evolving.”
