3 minute read
Preparing Early Learners For The Future | Lisa Rumsey
BY JJ SHEFFER | DIRECTOR, COMMUNITY PROGRAMS
Lisa Rumsey has always loved working with young children. She has also found fulfillment in helping to support others in finding the same sense of joy in working with early learners.
“We know that the greatest amount of brain development occurs between birth and age three to age five,” Rumsey says. “So here I am, trying to make a difference, and help other professionals make that difference, too.”
Rumsey has worked in early learning for 37 years, the last 19 of which she’s spent at York Day Nursery, most recently as their VP of Programming.
York Day Nursery is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit charitable organization, accredited by NAEYC (National Association for the Education of Young Children) and holding a four-star designation (the highest rating) under the Pennsylvania Keystone STARS Child Care Quality Initiative. They provide high-quality childcare with low teacher-to-child ratios and curriculum that encompasses the whole child – with an emphasis on emotional development – and aligns with Pennsylvania early learning standards in order to prepare children for kindergarten. The organization, which will celebrate its 90th anniversary this year, recently opened a second center, located within York County School of Technology.
York Day Nursery President/CEO Brian Grimm credits Rumsey in large part for the organization’s longevity, expansion, and success.
“Lisa’s unmatched expertise in early childhood and her passion to help families and children receive that education is what makes YDN so special,” Grimm says. “Through Lisa’s leadership, we were able to expand access to our program while maintaining the same rigorous standards for excellence that has been the hallmark of YDN for the past 90 years.”
Rumsey’s passion for early learning, and the passion she helps foster in supporting the staff of YDN, comes from a deep love for interactions with young children.
“Children see you and love you for who you are. There’s no pretending with young children; they hold you to your word. Children are very inquisitive and love to learn from the people around them, but they also want to be independent, so we need to know when to back off a little bit and allow them to discover something new on their own with your support.”
