Progams

The ratios listed in our program information are based on licensing requirements and RCWs.

Infants

Our youngest infants are in the Seedlings room. This room is for babies who are nonmobile and look to our teachers for lots of cuddles and holding. This room has a ratio of 2 teachers to 8 babies and is located at the back of the first floor of GLOW where it is quiet and calm.

When infants begin to crawl, they move to the room next door, Roots. These active and socially engaged babies like to play with each other and explore all the toys and books available to them. Pulling everything off the shelves is a favorite activity! This room has a ratio of 2 teachers to 8 babies or 3 teachers to 9 babies, depending on need.

Toddlers

GLOW currently has three infant rooms: Sprouts, Trunks and Branches. Sprouts is a mixed-age classroom for children who are beginning to walk so there can be an age range of older infants to young toddlers. This class is next to our amazing indoor-outdoor playroom, The Rain Room. Sprouts can often be seen looking through the windows at the children playing in the rain room. They are much more social and active and love music, books and taking their turn in the rain room. The ratios in this room depend on the age of the children in the room. If there are any children under one year old, then the ratio is 2 teachers to 8 babies. If all the children are one year or older, then the ratio is 2 teachers with 10 children.

Trunks and Branches are toddler rooms located on the second floor of GLOW. These toddlers must be developmentally able to safely climb stairs. They get to play in both the rain room and our other indoor-outdoor playroom, The Forest Room, which is located on Lumen’s third floor. Toddlers practice walking in a line together outside from GLOW to Lumen. Once this is successful, then they can go for short walks near the center or ride in strollers to a Riverfront Park playground. Toddler classrooms have a ratio of 2 teachers to 14 toddlers.

Preschool

Maples is one of our preschool classrooms and is in the room we call the “Blue and Yellow Room”. The colors were decided on by some of the GLOW staff when construction was near complete. This classroom is the closest to our kitchen so they get to smell all the yummy food that is cooked each day. Maples enjoy daily walks, go to both of the Riverfront Park playgrounds, field trips to Mobius and get to play in the forest room. During the summer, Maples get to ride public transportation to The Garland movie theater with the school age kids. Preschool classrooms have a ratio of 2 teachers to 20 children.

ECEAP Preschool

ECEAP is a program that is supported by the state of Washington and helps cover the costs for families who are low-income, speak a language at home that is not English, have a child with special or complex needs or other qualifying circumstances. We were awarded “School Day” spots which means the program is Monday - Thursday 8am - 3:15pm from early September to mid-June. State subsidy or private pay options are available to wrap around ECEAP hours for our full open hours. Our ECEAP classroom, called Oaks, is on the second floor of GLOW. Oaks often join Maples on walks, to the playground, to Mobius and to the forest room. They also get to team up with school agers in the summer to ride the bus to the Garland movie theater. This classroom has a ratio of 2-3 teachers to 20 children because some of our friends have higher level needs.

School Age

During longer school breaks, GLOW offers programming to kindergartners through sixth graders. Our school age programs is called “Blossoms”. Our blossoms go on field trips daily either by walking to downtown locations or using public transportation. The students go with the teachers to the STA bus plaza, which is just across the street, and get a free bus pass. The teachers show them how to look up the bus schedules, locate the correct bus and arrive at their destination. Our Blossoms program have many amazing opportunities such as free swim lessons/open swim time, visiting many of the local playgrounds and splash pads, movies, Mobius, the MAC, Skyhawks camps, visits to the libraries, Spark Central and more. The ratio for this group is up to 2 teachers per 30 students though we keep it lower than that as often as
possible.

Community Outreach

This program is our newest branch of GLOW. It began in Summer 2024 with funding from LaunchNW. Two full time early learning navigators are funded through December 2026 to find innovative and collaborate partnerships with other community members and organizations to help support pregnant people and families with young children. We emphasize early relational health and recognizing the full ecosystem that helps a family thrive in their community.

Some of the new programming that has been started:

  • Early literacy skills lesson with a free book
  • Collaboration with The Learning Project to introduce new STARS credit videos of pediatric speech, occupational, feeding and physical therapists for childcare professionals.
  • enCOURAGEment project that will be available to local parents and caregivers
  • Spokane cohort of organizations to attend various levels of the HOPE Framework and focusing on Early Relational Learning
  • Collaboration with Spokane Regional Health District for a series of learning on Early Relational Health
  • Advocacy work in Olympia
  • Free/low cost family scavenger hunt in local neighborhoods

Art and Music Classes

Two years ago, GLOW received funding from Spokane Arts Grant Award (SAGA) to start art and music classes at GLOW.

During that year, GLOW collaborated with a local artist and gallery owner, Denny Carman with Chrysalis Art Gallery, to connect with multiple local artists who provided 4 weekly art classes with our preschoolers for a school year. Three of the artists ended up contracting with GLOW to continue art projects and classes last year. This year, we’ve hired one of the artists, Desi Mowry, who is providing art classes to the toddler, preschool and school age programs. We need assistance in providing art materials to our center so please consider sending in new and gently used resources!

We have also partnered with Songbird, a local company that provides Music Together classes. Music Together provides music books, audio of songs, singing and instruments at the infant, toddler and preschool ages. Songs have a lot of variety in type, tempo, culture and language. Parents are encouraged to attend the classes with their children. Once or twice a year we hold community sing alongs for everyone to come together to play instruments and sing.