Preschool and Kindergarten Celebrates 50 years

The recent 50th anniversary celebration of Grace Lutheran Preschool and Kindergarten was marked by a ceremony attended by nearly 200 current and former staff and alumni, enrolled families and local dignitaries. Founders Gwen Bunnell and Linda Domin, members of Grace Lutheran Church who remain active supporters of the school’s mission, also were in attendance.

Opening the ceremony were State College Mayor Elizabeth Goreham and Centre County Commissioner Steve Dersham, who delivered proclamations recognizing the school’s 50 years of service to the region. State College Police Chief John Gardner was introduced, and all three were thanked for their support of the school.

The ceremony was followed by a reception featuring an array of activities for children and their families. One attendee described the event as “a great big hug.”

In 1966, Bunnell and Domin, who had taught previously in a small preschool, discovered a shared passion for teaching and similar educational philosophies. At the time, international families at Penn State did not have an option for kindergarten, and early childhood options locally were limited. Believing they could offer something unique and desirable, they petitioned to start their own school at Grace Lutheran Church.

Following council approval, the pastor at the time, Dale Bringman, gave Bunnell and Domin $50, half of which paid the state licensing fee and half of which purchased an ad for the school. Using children’s furniture and toys from their homes, they opened a kindergarten and a class for 4-year-old students. Their reputations led to waiting lists in the first year as they met their goal of “creating a joyful place for children to discover and learn,” still an important aspiration today.

Although the school has grown considerably since the early years — enrollment in 2016 is 125 students from ages 2 1/2 through kindergarten — many of the programs are rooted in seeds that were planted in 1966. Children’s Chapel, field trips, visiting professionals, science and nature units and an international component were all rooted in the school’s humble beginnings. The founders also launched a tuition assistance program to help enrolled families with a demonstrated need to access a quality education. Today there are also weekly music and art classes within the school, as well as a kindergarten curriculum supplemented by Spanish language and culture, physical education and a library class.