New Early Childhood Education Center Playground Supports Young Learners and Community
Moreno Valley College celebrated the grand reveal of its newly renovated Early Childhood Education Center (ECEC) playground on Thursday, Feb. 27, marking a major investment in early childhood development. The state-of-the-art play space is designed to foster creativity, sensory exploration, and physical activity, helping young learners build essential skills.
The $951,000 renovation, funded through scheduled maintenance funds, features equipment that encourages art, music, and fitness exploration, laying a strong foundation for early learning.
The project began as an effort to update the existing playground to meet licensing and accreditation requirements. Sandra Rivas, manager of the ECEC, collaborated with early childhood education faculty to envision an ideal play space. Ron Kirkpatrick, director of facilities, worked alongside contractors, the district office, and MVC’s Business Services to bring that vision to life.
“With the help of my team and Early Childhood Education faculty, we created a vision for what our ideal playground would look like,” Rivas said. “Ron collaborated with the contractors, the district office, and MVC’s Business Services to bring our vision to life. While not everything from our original design was included, we accomplished a great deal.”
Beyond benefiting young learners, the updated playground serves as a hands-on training environment for MVC students studying early childhood education. The ECEC provides high-quality childcare while giving aspiring educators real-world experience in a dynamic learning setting.
Rivas added, “I am extremely grateful for the support from college leadership and Business Services throughout this project. Their commitment to our program demonstrates the value MVC places on early childhood education. These children are future MVC students, leaders, and community members.”
The renovated playground is more than just a play space—it’s a hub for learning, discovery, and growth. As the ECEC continues to welcome families from MVC and the broader community, it reinforces the college’s dedication to investing in the next generation, one child at a time.