The Edison Early Learning Center opens in South Abington Twp.

SOUTH ABINGTON TWP. — The Edison Early Learning Center for preschool and kindergarten children will occupy the space recently vacated by Sickler’s Bike and Sport Shop.

Dawn Toolan has owned and operated the Edison Learning Center in Carbondale for 18 years. She taught high school Earth Science in Connecticut for six years and at Wallenpaupack High School for two years after moving back to the area.

“Following the birth of my son, I made the decision to leave public education and open Edison,” she said. “I felt strongly that my hometown of Carbondale needed a high-quality early learning center staffed by state-certified teachers, offering a strong curriculum and meaningful assessments to tailor learning for each child’s maximum success.”

She emailed the former owner of Sickler’s about selling the building. A few months later, he called, telling her he was ready to sell the building. A friend, Kristen Rude, who is a teacher at Abington Heights High School, encouraged her to look at the building. Teachers and Abington families expressed a need for quality preschool programs and full-day kindergarten.

The Abington location will have a pre-kindergarten 3 classroom, pre-kindergarten 4 classroom, Junior Kindergarten classroom and a Kindergarten classroom. There will be four large classrooms and two offices for administration and staff. Each classroom will have its own restroom and access to the playground area.

It will operate with a Pennsylvania Private Academic School License through the Pennsylvania Department of Education.

Alexandra Sacco will have a son, age 5, and a daughter, age 3, enrolled in the kindergarten and pre-kindergarten programs.

“This district needed a full-time kindergarten,” she said. “Dawn was very informative. It will be a good investment for our community.”

Nicole Lewis has a son who is 4 and will be 5 in September.

“He will be in the Junior Kindergarten program,” she said. “I teach at the Abington Heights Middle School, so it will be close to where I work and where I live.”

“Early childhood learning is more than ‘playtime,’” said Toolan. “It is the foundation upon which a child’s lifelong learning and success are built. Research shows that the first five years are critical for brain development, social-emotional growth, and early academic skills. Too often, this stage is undervalued or overlooked. At Edison Early Learning Center, we are passionate about providing a structured, high-quality learning environment that nurtures curiosity, builds confidence, and establishes the essential skills children need to become confident, capable, and lifelong learners.”

A licensed private academic school must employ qualified credential teachers, follow an approved academic curriculum, maintain educational standards, keep formal student records, and demonstrate structured instruction and assessment.

“Our goal is to ensure that our students transition confidently and successfully into first grade at Abington Heights,” Toolan said. “Through this collaboration, we are able to match academic standards, instructional pacing, and skill development to what students will encounter in the elementary school setting. This intentional alignment strengthens continuity in learning and ensures our kindergarten graduates are fully prepared for the expectations on first grade.”

Enrollment will continue until all programs are full. Discounts are available for those who enroll by April 1, 2026.

Families can enroll at www.edisonearlylearning.org.

Info night

There will be a Parent Information Night on Thursday March 12, at the Abington Community Library. Those interested in Pre-K 3, Pre-K 4 and Jr, Kindergarten will meet at 5:30 pm. Those interested in the kindergarten program will meet at 6 p.m. Daily schedule, curriculum, program tuition, and school calendar will be discussed, and there will be an opportunity to meet school administrators and teachers. For information, visit www.edisonlearningceneter.org or email edisonlearningcenter@gmail.com.