Garfield County’s Preschool on Wheels program officially made its final stop earlier this year as the last class of graduates celebrated the hundreds of kids who’s footsteps they followed over the years.
41 children graduated at the program’s final summer celebration on Thursday, May 30, but it was truly a celebration of all 593 children that have graduated from the program since 2012.
“The Summer Celebration is a way to wrap up the successful school year and honor the Gus and Sunshine students and teachers,” said Tamara Tormohlen, executive director of Aspen Community Foundation, said in the press release. “It is a special time that brings together families – parents, siblings, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins – to recognize this important milestone for the students.”
Created through a partnership with the Garfield County School District Re-2, Aspen Community Foundation’s Preschool on Wheels program has served children and families of Rifle, Silt and New Castle.
Originally established to fill the gap in access to early childhood education as an estimated 150 local students were not able to access preschool, since then numerous additional site-based preschool spaces have been created as program managers determined the need was no longer there.