As a Washougal School District board director, Teresa Lees has high praise for Educational Services District 112’s 1,2,3 Grow and Learn program, which purports to provide growth and learning skills to young children in Clark County.
“I appreciate the fact that (ESD 112) took the effort to make this program, and that it’s free and inviting,” Lees said. “It’s very fun and family-oriented. Anybody can come, and there’s no limit to how many kids can come. It gets the community involved, and I like that. People are thinking past money and thinking more of families.”
Lees sees the program from another perspective as well. Two of her children – Charley, 3, and Ryker, 10 months, participate in the weekly sessions at Hathaway Elementary School.
The 1, 2, 3 Grow and Learn group is a child/parent drop-in program available at Hathaway to children up to 5 years of age living in Camas and Washougal.
“We were attracted to it because it’s an (early learning) program, but I could still be there to participate,” Lees said. “Charley gets to play with other kids her age, (which is important) because there’s a big gap between her and her next oldest sibling. And it’s free — that’s a big thing.”