Ministers
John B. McCall
Elsa A. Peters
Nancy A. Foran

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United Church
of Christ

'God is still speaking!'

Open and Affirming UCC Churches

Maine Conference UCC

The Center for
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The City of
South Portland

Town of
Cape Elizabeth

Maine Council
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50th Aniversary

Discovery Center

The Discovery Center is a weekday preschool for 3, 4, and 5 year olds. Originally a privately-owned preschool using church facilities, since 1998 it has been a ministry of the First Congregational Church, open to all children without regard to church affiliation.

The mission of the Discovery Center is to provide a preschool program that will nurture a child's individuality, creativity, and spirituality. A theme-based curriculum paired with child-centered, hands-on learning experiences and a supportive environment serves to develop confident, creative and compassionate thinkers and doers.

The Discovery Center serves approximately 48 families from the communities of South Portland, Cape Elizabeth, Scarborough and Portland. The school offers a two day morning program for three year olds, a three day morning program for 4 year olds, and a three half-day program for older four and five year olds, called The Explorers' program. Students of the school reflect the diversity of our surrounding neighborhoods.

The school strives to provide a loving and nurturing first school experience for children, focusing on socialization and developmentally appropriate readiness skills. An equally important goal of the school is serving as a ministry of The First Congregational Church. The school strives to accomplish this in a variety of ways.

Established as a nonprofit preschool, the school endeavors to keep tuition affordable, less than many private nursery schools in the area. Scholarships are available, as well as reduced tuition for siblings, and families in need.

Within the classroom, emphasis is placed on learning to love our neighbor, treating one another with kindness and understanding, and fostering consideration and caring for our world. A daily prayer is said or sung by the students before snack. Monthly service projects are woven into the curriculum, in a developmentally appropriate way. During the previous school year, families and students made “snack bags” for children staying at the Ronald McDonald House, contributed food to the church Food Pantry, raised over $1,000.00 for muscular dystrophy research by participating in the Hop-a-thon, and collected funds for household help for a teacher dealing with chemotherapy.

One of our favorite outreach projects was participating in the Heifer Project International. Children learned about families in other countries and their struggle for food and clothing, simple items we often take for granted. Students voted on an animal for the school to purchase, and a flock of ducks was the chosen gift. Families contributed money and the school was able to send the gift of livestock to a needy family in the world. Students learned the importance of sharing and how giving makes us feel good.

Another way the Discovery Center has been a mission of the church is by bringing families into church on a regular basis. Families notice the variety of projects and activities ongoing in the church as they pass through the hallways on their way to school. Many of our school families, after a first exposure through the preschool, have eventually joined the church, participating in Sunday school, and becoming party of our church family.

The Discovery Center encourages communication and participation from church congregants. Church members have been active in collecting recyclables for school projects, and sharing musical and artistic talents with students of the school.

The Discovery Center serves as a loving and nurturing start to school, as an affordable, accessible outreach to the community, and as a mission participating in developmentally appropriate service projects, helping children learn the wonderful benefits of contributing to others and making our world a better place.

Director of the Discovery Center Margaret Thibodeau