Educare Flint

Client
Flint Kids Learn
Location
Flint, MI
Completion date
December 2017

Located in one of the neighborhoods hit hardest by the lead crisis, the Flint Early Childhood Education Center serves as a beacon of hope for young students and their families. 

RDG's design for the state-of-the-art education center, which is situated on the campus of Durant-Tuuri-Mott Elementary School and serves children ages birth to five, offers learning spaces that reinforce Educare's research-based approach to education. Inside the 36,000-SF building are 18 early learning classrooms, a STEM learning lab, theater, mindfulness rooms and interactive elements throughout, all of which are designed to encourage learning through discovery. Outside, rolling play areas and cartoon-inspired playhouses create opportunities for hands-on educational play. Because the facility is meant to also serve parents, community spaces that support learning and job training are incorporated into the design. The building and site are designed to feel welcoming, inclusive and accessible. 

Extended entry plaza for outdoor community events.
STEM based activity classroom.
Multipurpose gross motor room with views to outdoor playscapes.
Daylit interior piazza with framed views of the surrounding environment.
Space to support learning and socialization outside the classroom.
Educare Flint in Flint, Michigan by RDG. Photo by Tom Grady.
Awards
Citation Award — 2023 Architectural Portfolio
American School & University
2023
Citation Award — 2023 Architectural Portfolio
American School & University
2020
Honor Award — Design Built
ASLA Nebraska Dakotas Chapter
2019