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Meet Lynn McKinnon of Foundations for the Future School

Today we’d like to introduce you to Lynn McKinnon.

So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I had my first child while I was in college, and it was a game changer for me. I decided to work in an after-school program There came a point in my life where I realized that all the jobs I had enjoyed, while related to my original degree in Computer Science, were also teaching jobs. That was when I realized how much I loved education. When I had my own child, it was a natural progression into a love of teaching children. As I began to work in child care centers, my behind-the-scenes experience working in childcare was disheartening.

There were many aspects of the operations of the program that I felt hindered a positive learning experience, from rapid teacher turnover due to poor work conditions, to cutting corners with the quality of food served, to moving children around daily from class to class just to balance out class ratios. When my mother sold her business she had owned for twenty years, I asked her if she would go into a new business with me. I presented to her the idea of a childcare center that would correct these issues and many others, where the entire environment from the ground up would be structured to support children’s positive learning experiences, starting with providing a supportive environment for teachers.

After over a year of planning and researching, we opened Foundations for the Future Creative Child Care Center in 2004. Three years after that, we expanded into offering Elementary School. In 2014, we expanded to offer family events and birthday parties in our gym (www.FoundationsParties.com). And now here we are, fourteen years later, with a wonderful community of children and teachers who love to come to school every day.

Has it been a smooth road?
When we first opened in 2004, we opened the doors with just 17 children in attendance, and about half of those were employee children. It was definitely a challenge to establish ourselves in the area. We chose our location specifically because we did not want to be on a busy street, and because it offered us the ability to purchase acreage and have natural outdoor play spaces for the children.

But it was a huge challenge to let people know we were there, on a side street not many people knew of. The most common thing we heard for years was versions of “I never even knew you were back here, and I’ve lived in this area for years.” However, our little street grew up around us, online searches became the norm, and our reputation grew through word of mouth. Now we just struggle to make sure we have space for everyone that wants to enroll.

So, as you know, we’re impressed with Foundations for the Future School – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
Our teaching philosophy is one of the main things that sets us apart from most of the other child care centers and schools in our area. We believe in creative exploration, with the child choosing the primary topics of study. The teacher’s role is to work the goals and objectives into their interests. This type of learning has been heavily researched and shown to promote long-term results in more than just academics, but beyond, into communication skills, social skills, and more.

As much as this is what defines us, I am just as proud of the many things that go on behind the scenes here that impact the quality of the experience, that many people probably don’t even notice. Our nutrition program is top notch, with as much organic, fresh, whole wheat, and homemade items we can possibly incorporate for a reasonable cost. We have nice staff lounge, where teachers can reset and refresh on their breaks (believe it or not, this is rare in child care centers). We want to be as environmentally friendly as possible, so instead of using disposable plates and silverware like most child care centers and school, we use real plates and silverware and do thousands of dishes each week in a commercial sanitizer.

We also just recently installed solar panels for our school, so all our electrical needs are powered by the sun, instead of coal and nuclear power (the main sources of energy through our provider). And, we have four administrators (instead of the standard one for a center of our size), all who are dedicated to helping the children, parents, and teachers here have a wonderful experience (and they all have children of their own here as well).  We are looking forward to serving our community for decades to come.

Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
There is so much that is wonderful about Kennesaw and Marietta for families. The Parks and Recreation Departments are wonderful, routinely hosting family-friendly events, from movie nights to parades to touch-a-truck.

There are many great spaces to be outside, including Kennesaw Mountain National Park, and city parks like Swift-Cantrell, which has an amazing skate park and large dog park. There’s something for everyone within a short distance.

Contact Info:

Image Credit:
Michelle Scott Photography https://michellescottphoto.com/

Getting in touch: VoyageATL is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.

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