Early Childhood Education Center Opens in Lockwood
The Early Childhood Education Center teaches little ones through play-based learning that helps children get ready for school.
Children ages 2-5 are now welcome to enroll at the new Community Chest Early Childhood Education Center in Lockwood. The center educates little ones through play-based learning that helps children get ready for school. The staff also helps identify any challenges in their development and helps them overcome it.
Children are taught a curriculum that includes math, science and literacy. The activities are designed to help build kids' socialization and emotional skills and work through any behavioral issues they may be experiencing.
"It's a play-based curriculum, and they're also learning all day long as well," Community Chest Chief Operating Officer Michael-Ann Lazzarino said. The center welcomes children both full-time and part-time, with class sizes of 24 kids. Three scholarships are available for families living in Storey County who are eligible for financial aid.
Community Chest offers critical childcare and educational services to Storey County residents, including infant care, pre-K, and before and after school programs for kids K-8th grade. Along with the new center in Lockwood, Community Chest has two locations in Virginia City – the Early Childhood Education Center and the Storey County Youth and Community Center – and one at the Mark Twain Center in Dayton.
"It's the first time I've experienced something like this in a small community – I'm excited for it," said Lockwood Center Director Josephine Barajas-Policare who teaches and oversees the program.
The new center is outfitted with playful and educational activity areas, both inside and outside. Barajas-Policare says selecting the materials to bring into the center, "was like Christmas – the kids are going to love this."
The Early Childhood Education Center is located in the Lockwood Community Center on Peri Road. The 8,506-square-foot multi-purpose building also includes the Senior Center that opened in October 2025.
Enroll children in the Early Childhood Education Center online:
communitychestnevada.net
Early Childhood Education Center opens at the Community Center in Lockwood, Nevada
