Preschool University Graduation Showcases Early Learning Pathway for Inland Empire Families
7 min read
Preschool University graduates line up in blue caps and gowns before entering the June 26 ceremony, which drew about six dozen parents and family members. Photos by Manny Sandoval
Preschool University, a licensed child care program of the YMCA of the East Valley, is positioning itself as more than a preschool in Redlands.
The program serves children from 18 months to 5 years old, offers financial aid for qualifying families and draws parents from across the Inland Empire, including Redlands, Highland, San Bernardino, Fontana, Colton, Riverside, Mentone, Loma Linda and surrounding communities.
For working parents, staff said, the location can also be a practical option even if they do not live in Redlands. Some families use Preschool University because it is near work or along their commute.
Inside the classrooms, early learning often begins with something simple: a child pouring beads into a cup, touching a new texture, painting a picture or learning the words to describe a feeling.
For staff at Preschool University, those moments are not just play. They are part of the foundation children build before kindergarten.
“I think a big misconception about early learning, or preschool in general, is that they’re just playing — that it’s just babysitting,” said Andrea Guevara, associate executive director for licensed child care. “Yes, they’re playing, but there’s a lot of learning happening while they’re playing here.”
IECN visited Preschool University on June 22 and toured the learning facility, where classrooms were filled with sensory activities, group play, art stations and hands-on learning areas designed to support children at different developmental stages.
Preschool University has operated as a licensed child care program at its current Redlands facility since 2000, according to Guevara, who has worked there for 11 years. The YMCA offered different child care programs before that, but the license marked the beginning of the current Preschool University model at the site.
Today, the program includes eight classrooms with environments designed around different learning interest areas. Guevara said those spaces support cognitive development, physical development, language, science and early learning skills.
A typical day, she said, is never exactly the same.
“It’s busy, it’s fun, and there’s a lot of learning happening,” Guevara said. “There’s excitement, and there are tears, because for many children this is their first experience away from loved ones.”
That transition is one of the most important parts of early childhood education, staff said. Preschool University focuses on helping children feel secure, build routines and begin engaging with other children and adults outside their families.
“In order to learn, you have to feel safe in your space,” Guevara said. “We start that from day one by being welcoming, learning their names and teaching them how to be kind to others.”
The program’s approach emphasizes hands-on learning. Children use sensory activities, textures, colors, art, pretend play and group activities to build language and problem-solving skills.
“We use the five senses throughout the day because children learn through those first-hand experiences,” Guevara said.
In one classroom, children filled and emptied cups of beads. Guevara said the repetition can have a calming effect while also giving children a chance to practice sharing, imagination and vocabulary.
“For some children, those sensory activities can be calming,” she said. “But some of them took it to another level. They started saying, ‘Look, I’m baking a cake.’”
Social-emotional learning is also central to the program. Guevara said that often begins with helping young children identify and express “big feelings.”
“At that age, it can be difficult for children to express themselves appropriately when they don’t know how,” she said. “So for us, it’s about giving them the words and the language.”
A child paints during IECN’s June 22 visit to Preschool University, where creative activities are used to support early learning and self-expression. 
A Preschool University graduate holds her diploma during the June 26 ceremony, where 39 children marked their transition from preschool toward kindergarten. 
A child plays with a dollhouse inside a Preschool University classroom, one of several learning areas designed to encourage imagination, communication and problem-solving. 
A Preschool University graduate smiles as she walks into the ceremony, where students later shared dreams of becoming doctors, firefighters, nail technicians and YouTubers. 
A Preschool University student performs a DJ set during the June 26 graduation ceremony, one of several student-led moments that showcased confidence and creativity. 
Preschool University graduates wait their turn before the ceremony, part of a milestone celebration for children ages 18 months to 5 in the YMCA of the East Valley program.
For longtime teacher Susanna Serrato, who has been with the program and its related YMCA child care work for 29 years, that social-emotional foundation is one of the most important parts of preparing children for school and life.
“Kids need to master their social-emotional skills in order to be successful in other areas,” Serrato said.
Serrato first became connected to early childhood education as a parent volunteer when her son was in Head Start. She later began working as an aide, took classes and earned teaching permits. Her own son also spent time in YMCA child care programs.
“I could leave my child in their care and know that he was going to be taken care of,” Serrato said. “I feel that the Y made a positive impact on my own son.”
She said children learn to make friends, solve problems, trust adults and engage with others. Over the years, she has seen families return with younger siblings and former students come back years later.
One former student, she said, returned around the time of his high school graduation to recreate a photo he had taken with her when he graduated from Preschool University — a moment Serrato said reflects the lasting relationships built inside the program.
For Serrato, that long-term connection is part of what makes Preschool University meaningful for families.
Asked what she wants families to know about Preschool University, Serrato said the answer is simple.
“This is a nurturing, safe place for all,” she said.
That sense of safety was echoed by Vernesha Brown, a parent who spoke with IECN on June 26 after watching her daughter graduate from Preschool University at The Redlands Y in downtown Redlands.
Brown’s daughter, who spent two years in the program, was one of 39 children who accepted preschool diplomas during the ceremony, which drew about five dozen parents and family members.
The graduation featured student performances, including a DJ set by two students. Graduates walked to the microphone to share what they want to be when they grow up, with answers ranging from ballerina, princess and “muscle man” to doctor, firefighter, nail technician and YouTuber.
“Oh, my God, I was so blessed. I was absolutely elated,” Brown said after watching her daughter walk across the stage. “It was everything that I was hoping for.”
For Brown, the ceremony marked a major milestone after an emotional start at Preschool University.
“She did not want to go. She was crying up a storm, and I was crying too — just not in front of her,” Brown said of her daughter’s first drop-off.
But Brown said her daughter’s teacher immediately reassured her.
“They made me feel like, ‘Mom, you’re doing the right thing. We’ve got you. If we need you, we’ll call you,’” Brown said. “They have always made me feel very comfortable.”
Brown said financial assistance also made a meaningful difference for her family. She said the application process was easy, and she received an answer in about a week.
“I would say the community itself has been my favorite part,” Brown said. “The school, the financial assistance, the free events — it feels like a family. They can tell me anything, and we work together.”
For Brown, finding the right child care setting was especially important because both of her children are autistic.
“Finding proper child care is very important,” she said. “Stepping into the YMCA was amazing. Letting them know my financial struggles at the time, and having them be open to helping us, has meant the world to me.”
Program Director Deidra Gregory said Brown’s experience reflects why communication between families and staff is important, especially when children may need additional support.
“All we ask is for families to be transparent,” Gregory said. “If you’re transparent, we can help you get the resources. I want success for the child.”
Guevara said Preschool University works with children with differing abilities and sometimes coordinates with outside support providers, including ABA therapists. Staff also use developmental tools to help identify where children are and whether they may need additional support.
“It’s about inclusion,” Guevara said. “We have seen how that inclusion changes our classroom communities.”
For preschool families, financial aid may be available through subsidized slots and YMCA scholarships. Guevara said the YMCA contracts with the California Department of Education and California Department of Social Services for subsidized slots based on income, family size and need. YMCA scholarships are supported through funds raised by the organization’s community campaign.
The YMCA also operates licensed after-school programs on nine elementary school campuses in Redlands. Guevara said those programs run Monday through Friday until 6 p.m. and provide homework support, team projects and social-emotional skill-building for working families.
For Guevara, the goal is for families to see Preschool University as a place where children can feel safe, build confidence and develop a love for learning before they take their next step.
“There’s a love for learning that happens through these walls,” Guevara said. “We are a very welcoming group of people here wanting what’s best for your child.”
