Colgate President Jeffrey Herbst helps to open the new wing at the Chenango Nursery School.
A ceremony attended by toddlers, parents, village representatives, and Colgate President Jeffrey Herbst marked the formal opening of a new wing at Chenango Nursery School (CNS).
Under an agreement approved by the Colgate Board of Trustees this year, the university entered a mutually beneficial partnership with CNS, which provides essential child care for many in and around the village of Hamilton.
“This project began when we began discussing the demographic reality. We anticipate bringing new people into the community who require enhanced child care, and that pointed to the need for an expanded CNS,” said Herbst of Colgate’s substantial investment in the facility.
The university purchased the CNS property at 59 W. Kendrick earlier this year, invested in upgrades and the expansion, and now leases the improved property back to CNS.
The capital improvements increased the space by 35 percent and include two new classrooms, a multipurpose room, an expanded kitchen and playground, and a new room for infants.
Phil George, CNS board president, spoke eloquently about the school’s director, Denise Dinski, at the September 23 ceremony.
“As you know, Denise has poured her heart and soul into this school,” he said as he walked the assembled crowd through the history of CNS. George explained how it went from a single room in St. Thomas Church to its current location on Kendrick Drive.
CNS, a trusted nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization, will continue to be solely responsible for its operation of child-care services for children ages 6 weeks to 5 years.
Other recent Colgate investments in the village include $50,000 to Southern Madison County Volunteer Ambulance Corps and a potential new Center for Arts and Culture in the village.