The ribbon was cut on Tuesday at CHS Middletown.
Another early learning school offering free admission and instruction for young children has officially opened in Dauphin County.
On Tuesday, Catherine Hershey Schools for Early Learning cut the ribbon on its third Early Childhood Education Center, this one in Middletown.
“The opening of CHS Middletown represents yet another remarkable chapter in the ongoing expansion of Milton and Catherine Hershey’s enduring legacy,” said Pete Gurt, president of MHS and CHS. “Today’s milestone is a powerful reminder that what began in 1909 in a singular act of generosity continues to grow and transform lives in profound and lasting ways.”
CHS Middletown serves 150 local children primarily from Middletown, Steelton and Highspire, ages 6 weeks to 5 years, from underserved and under-resourced backgrounds. According to CHS, the facility is already at capacity upon opening.
The 48,692-square-foot facility features 12 state-of-the-art classrooms, an “innovation studio,” more than 24,000 square feet of outdoor play spaces, a STEM garden and a “family success center,” which is an area for families to access resources.
It’s the third of six planned centers in Dauphin and Lancaster counties, in an initiative totaling $350 million. The first opened in Hershey in 2023, followed by a location on N. 6th Street in Harrisburg in 2024. The next centers will be in Danville in 2026 and Elizabethtown and Lancaster, both in 2027.
The CHS program is centered around a play-based curriculum and also offers various health services, behavioral support and meals, among other benefits.
“This third location in Dauphin County brings our county-wide enrollment to 450 children in need, most of whom did not previously have access to high-quality early childhood education and care,” said CHS Executive Director Senate Alexander. “With this new location, we expand the successes and learnings from our initial locations in Hershey and Harrisburg and celebrate the growing impact CHS will have on local children, families and communities thanks to the collective efforts of our teachers and staff, MHS and community partners.”
For more information on the Catherine Hershey Schools for Early Learning, visit www.chslearn.org.
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