The Children's Learning Center at Penn College

Karen has been with the Children's Learning Center at Penn College since it opened in 1994. In addition to her full-time job as Director, she also teaches as an adjunct instructor in Early Childhood Education. Her career in Early Childhood Education began over 30 years ago in Rome, Italy, where she taught 2 and 3 year-olds at a private, English language preschool serving a multi-national community. A Central Pennsylvania native, she returned home to spend many years with Columbia Child Development Program in Bloomsburg before starting full-time at Penn College. Karen holds a B.A. in English from Barnard College in New York City and a Master's degree in Early Childhood Education from Bloomsburg University. She lives on a farm in New Columbia with her husband Ed. They have two grown sons.

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Darlene Warner, Secretary, holds an associate’s degree in computer science from Penn College and had 7 years experience in various clerical positions, including the Boys Scouts of America office in Williamsport before she joined the Children’s Learning Center in August 2005. Darlene lives in South Williamsport with her husband Dan (also a Penn College employee) and two school-age sons.

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A PA certified Nursery/Kindergarten teacher, Regina had 10 years experience teaching preschool and Kindergarten at Hope Preschool and Cillo's Child Care Center before leaving for a full-time position at the Children's Learning Center in August 2003. She holds a BA in Psychology and English from LaRoche College. A Pittsburgh native, Regina now lives in Muncy with her husband and three children.

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A 1994 graduate of Penn College with an Associate's degree in Early Childhood Education, Beckie worked as an Assistant at the Children's Learning Center for 1 1/2 years before leaving for a full-time position as a Head Start teacher, a job she held for three years. In August 1999, we welcomed her back as Group Leader. Beckie lives in Montgomery with her husband of 25 years and three of their five children (the eldest two are married).

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Kay leads our toddler class. She has 18 years experience in early education, most of it at the Divine Providence Hospital childcare center, where she was in charge of both toddlers and preschoolers at different times. She joined our Center when we added toddlers in January 2000. Kay has a B.S. degree in Elementary Education from Mansfield University. A native of Williamsport, she is married and has two grown children who live in Washington, D.C., and Texas.

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Gail has been with the Children's Learning Center since it opened. She had previous teaching experience with second graders at the former Webster School in Williamsport, in the Lycoming Child Care Latchkey program, and Little Lambs Preschool. A graduate of Bloomsburg State College and a Pennsylvania certified elementary teacher, Gail has always lived in central Pennsylvania. Gail has become very involved with environmental education (living creekside over half her life) and shares those interests and concerns with her church and campus families and the community at large. Following two of her five children’s footsteps, she explores the great outdoors with husband Phil and five grandchildren. When not outdoors she can be found mentoring one-act productions at the Community Theatre League.

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Sonya joined our Center when the toddler room opened in January 2000. Married with three school-age children of her own, Sonya operated a home daycare for nine years before deciding to further her education in Early Childhood Education at Penn College. In 2004, she received her A.A.S. and is now looking into possibilities for a bachelor's degree.

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Leah started at the Children's Learning Center in April 2008. She holds a B.S. degree from Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania and is a Pennsylvania certified teacher in elementary education. After graduating from LHU in December 2004, she substitute taught in local elementary schools. She also has two years experience teaching summer school to young elementary students. Before accepting her position at Penn College, Leah was Group Leader in the one-year-old room at South Williamsport United Methodist Preschool & Daycare. Leah lives in Muncy with her husband Don and one-year-old son, Brant.

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Sandy Hollingsworth, Part-time Assistant Group Leader, spends one day a week in each classroom as our “floater.” Sandy is a graduate of Penn College with an A.A.S. in Early Childhood Education and also holds a B.S. in Home Economics from Carson-Newman College in Tennessee. She has been working at the Children's Center since 1999, when she was still a student. Sandy lives in Muncy with her husband Ed, who teaches in the Industrial and Engineering Technology department at Penn College. Her three grown children live in Newville and Duncannon, Pennsylvania, and in Glen Burnie, Maryland.

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Jenn is a life-long resident of this area who graduated from Montoursville High School and then from Penn College, with an Associate's degree in Early Childhood Education, in 1997. Jenn started as a substitute at the Children's Center in August 1997 and was hired to fill her current position that November. Jenn was married during the summer of 2006.

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Joyce Shrimp, Assistant Group Leader of the Bear Bunch, has been with the Children's Learning Center since January 2001. She has taught in private and public pre-school and kindergarten programs. A graduate of Lock Haven University and a Pennsylvania certified elementary teacher, Joyce was employed as a substitute teacher in local public schools for seven years while raising three sons. Joyce and her husband Fred reside in Watsontown.

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