This year, Elizabethtown Community Nursery School (ECNS) celebrates 60 years of providing preschool education for young children in the area. Founded in 1966, ECNS started as a ministry of the Elizabethtown Church of the Brethren, where it is still housed today.

While the school has developed and expanded over the years, its emphasis on learning through play within a climate of love and understanding remains at the heart of its mission. ECNS seeks to inspire the first steps of lifelong learning by fueling curiosity through a variety of activities, including outdoor exploration, storytelling, music and movement, cooperative learning, and opportunities to play freely with friends.

ECNS' future plans include deepening the school's emphasis on nature-based learning. Activities in the past year have included digging and planting in a community garden, and enjoying bike days. In addition, preschoolers used an outdoor easel and a mud kitchen that were built by Elizabethtown College students.

ECNS provides preschool classes for children ages 3 to 5 and a playgroup for 2-year-olds. The school is licensed by the State Board of Private Academic Schools, and all teachers are state-certified. To learn more, please visit http://www.etowncns.org.