Washington Learning Center (WLC) offers classes beginning with expectant parents, infants through kindergarten and is the home of Community Education. WLC is focused on providing education opportunities for all ages.

Being a parent is hard work. We work to provide parents with a network of adults and resources. Classes focus on skills and understanding of their newborns and toddlers. Helping parents understand early childhood development and how to communicate, play, learn, and set realistic expectations. Our preschool classrooms are centered on supporting students’ social and emotional readiness to learn, and providing them with the skills they need to be ready to enter kindergarten.

We are pleased to offer all of our students an amazing outdoor learning and play area that includes raised garden beds, a loose parts area designed to promote engineering and creativity, a performance stage, music and art areas, magnetic wall, huge sandbox, large motor play areas, a bike track and much more. While physical education, art, music and media and technology are built into the kindergarten schedule, preschool children also have those opportunities within their day.

WLC has continued to evolve since we reopened here in 2016. The outdoor learning and play areas have seen many additions and the gardens are thriving. Our preschool and kindergarten teachers incorporate planting and harvesting into their lessons. We use these materials to enhance language, science and math skills. A variety of trees have been planted to help provide shade, natural boundaries, and additional learning opportunities.

At WLC we are helping children be good citizens of New Ulm and society. We take care of each other and those around us. WLC supports the positive efforts of our students through our Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) plan and distributing “Eagle STARR” tickets. Sometimes our parents earn them too!

WLC is a fun and exciting place to learn and grow. We thank the community for the support and hope parents of young children will take advantage of the opportunities we provide. We also look forward to continuing to serve the community at large through our Community Education offerings.