The Little Alice Learning Center in Vincennes, Indiana, is set to open Thursday.

That’s the first day of school in the Vincennes Community School Corporation.

The early education center is a community project led by the United Way of Knox County, in collaboration with the Vincennes YMCA and the Vincennes Community School Corporation. The center addresses a significant local shortage of quality childcare and early learning options.

The project received a substantial boost with a $321,834 capital project matching grant from Indiana United Ways, facilitated through United Way of Knox County.

The funding was directed towards renovating 7,200 square feet of childcare space at the YMCA building on College Avenue, transforming it into a high-quality, licensed early education center.

The center will cater to children aged 3 to 5, providing essential early learning experiences to prepare them for kindergarten.

The Vincennes Community School Corporation will manage the center, with Building Blocks as a consultant.   Building Blocks, based in Evansville, Indiana, is a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the quality, accessibility, and affordability of child care in Southern Indiana

Earlier this year it was announced that Kelley McCarty will be the director of the Little Alice Learning Center.

A ribbon-cutting ceremony will take place this evening at 5:30pm with an open house to follow.  The public is invited.