Hi neighbors! I’m Kelsey Anders, and I live in North Ranch with my husband, Eric, daughter, Eliana, and our two English bulldogs, Boss and Beau Jackson. While this beautiful suburb of Westlake Village encapsulates many amazing benefits to living outside of Los Angeles, I’ve found that being a mom with a baby or toddler can be isolating in the suburbs. Prior to 2018, I lived in an urban environment where there was an abundance of group programming for moms and toddlers alike. Not only did my friends have small children at the time, which gave me a lens into toddler mamahood, but my career in education provided me with a vast network of educators and innovators, both in the Early Childhood Education (ECE) space as well as K-12 learning. My foundation and experience designing customized learning programs has been a guiding light for the way I look at my daughter’s soon-to-be educational journey.  

 

A little about my background in education. I founded Aspen Learning Lab in 2003. My company and team specialize in customized education for children ages 18 months to 18 years old and have been building homeschool and microschool programs for families, primarily in Southern California, for 20 years. Our teachers work throughout California and some travel with our families all over the world. For our preschool learners, our goal is to create an environment that fosters curiosity, exploration, and discovery while enhancing and mastering age-appropriate, developmental milestones. We do this through focus areas such as visual and performing arts, collaboration and teamwork, imaginative play, music, movement, problem solving, and reasoning. Our preschool teachers embody a “whole child” approach to learning, considering each child’s individual skill level, interests, and the varying stages of emotional, social, and physical development. Every child benefits from the individualized approach and attention that our teachers dedicate to each child and pod (small group).

 

Back to my daughter. Eliana is two years old, and still too young for a more traditional preschool setting, which is different than daycare. I passionately believe in the importance of early childhood education. Multiple studies have shown how ECE programs can prepare children to develop the social and emotional skills they need to succeed later in life. Having seen the outcomes of these customized programs, it is my mission to create a magical, play-based environment for my daughter to play, grow, and learn. My goal is to do this with other families who share similar values. So, I’m asking neighbors like you to help me connect with those families. I’m sure my daughter will be beyond embarrassed if she reads this plea in 10 years! 

 

Recently, we started a two-year-old pod, or small group, in Hidden Hills with a few other families. Due to unforeseen circumstances, however, we moved the pod to our home in North Ranch. Unfortunately, this is too far for some families to drive. The challenge is that I don’t know many families with young children in the area. We have an amazing Aspen Learning Lab preschool teacher, along with everything you’d find in an elite preschool set up at our home. I am looking to connect with families in this area who have a young son or daughter and are looking for a preschool-like environment that fosters a love for learning through discovery and curiosity.  If you are interested in learning more about our small group, or you know a family who might be interested, please email me at kelsey@aspenlearninglab.com. 

 

If you’re wondering if you can create your own pod, or small group, the answer is yes! I’d be more than happy to talk with you and answer any questions you have.