Early Childhood Education Franchise To Open Location In Darien

DARIEN, CT — The Goddard School, the national early childhood education franchise with several locations already in Connecticut, will open its first Darien location in August, according to an announcement.

Operated by Goddard franchisees Kristen and Ken Bodenstein, who also own The Goddard School of Westport, the new Darien school will be located within the Heights Crossing development at 450 Heights Road.

The early childhood education center will provide year-round care for families with children ages 6 weeks to 6 years old. Additionally, the school plans to bring over 40 teaching jobs to the community.

"Our goal is to provide a warm, welcoming environment where children can build a strong foundation for lifelong learning," said Kristen Bodenstein in a prepared statement. "We’re passionate about creating a space where every child can thrive, and we can’t wait to become part of the vibrant Darien community."

The new school will offer enhanced enrichment programs, including Spanish, social studies, handwriting, chess and music, and will also have an indoor multipurpose room, a library and multiple oversized outdoor playgrounds.

Additionally, the school will be equipped with hospital-grade sanitization equipment to ensure a healthy environment.

The Goddard School uses its exclusive inquiry-based education program, Wonder of Learning, which features "a cutting-edge curriculum developed by a diversely skilled group of educators, researchers, physicians and early childhood experts, as well as built-in assessment of academic and social-emotional progress and family communication via a proprietary app," according to the franchise.

The Goddard School says inquiry-based learning, which guides the Wonder of Learning curriculum, is "a teaching and learning approach that focuses on the natural curiosity and sense of wonder children bring into the classroom. With teacher-guided inquiry topics, children learn about themselves and the world around them by exploring their interests, investigating concepts and asking questions."

For families interested in learning more about The Goddard School and how to enroll in the new Darien (Noroton Heights) location, visit GoddardSchool.com or call 203-636-0100.

There are currently The Goddard School locations in Brookfield, Danbury, Fairfield, Farmington, Glastonbury, Monroe, Newington, Orange, Rocky Hill, Shelton, South Windsor, Stamford, Westport and Wilton. A school in Weatogue is listed as "coming soon," according to the school's website.