Coming Soon! Discovery PLAYce @ Beloit Public Library
Beloit Public Library and its Foundation are launching Discovery PLAYce—a transformative, 6,000-square-foot early childhood learning lab designed to support children ages 0–6 and their caregivers. Through hands-on, research-based learning play stations, bilingual story corners, and targeted programming, Discovery PLAYce will help build early literacy, school readiness, and caregiver confidence. This FREE learning center will be integrated inside Beloit Public Library with a targeted opening of Fall 2026.
An Impetus for Change
Beloit is a wonderful, caring community that many are proud to call home. It has seen incredible growth and transformation – what some would call a renaissance – over the past few decades, which has provided amazing opportunities.
But many of Beloit’s children – our community’s future leaders – are struggling. They are entering the earliest grades ill-prepared; the gaps and challenges these children face only increase with time. The majority of our children are below basic in their reading scores. A staggering 88% are below grade level.
While these statistics are discouraging, it gives us a baseline to bring our entire community together around new and unique solutions for solving this challenge, which can define Beloit’s future.
How We Got Here
Beloit Public Library and the BPL Foundation began exploring a need for an early learning center for Beloit’s children by engaging community leaders in a community assessment. Among the participants, there was strong consensus around the need and the library’s ability to meet that need:
- Learning readiness is one of the most important issues facing Beloit today;
- Poor reading scores impact Beloit today and will greatly impact its future as a place to live and work; and
- The library is seen as a natural convener. If we can bring the community together around this issue, support will follow. As we heard, “If this works, investing in it will be a bargain.”
But these leaders had many questions and wanted additional involvement from the people who are working on this issue at all levels. The Library Foundation convened a Task Force of community partners working on all aspects of learning readiness and engaged their expertise to develop the plan. The Task Force Report is available upon request.
Discovery PLAYce Budget
Initial Work………………………………………………………$150,000
Design services, capital campaign preparation, etc.
Capital Budget for Exhibit Designs……………………………$2,500,000
that tell the stories of Beloit as unique learning experiences;
includes technology for evaluation ($465/sq ft)
Operations, Outreach, and Evaluation………………………$1,500,000
(5 years @ $300,000 per year)
TOTAL Needed to Make DP a Reality………………………$4,150,000
TOTAL Raised at Project Start………………………………$1,000,000
(Rock County $500,000; City of Beloit $250,000; Kathy Hendricks $250,000)
The Campaign for Beloit’s Children Goal…………………$3,150,000
State of Wisconsin Flexible Facilities Grant
The Library has also received one of the very competitive State of Wisconsin Flexible Facilities grants. This $3.89 million grant will be used to enhance other areas of the library, as well as prepare for Discovery PLAYce. However, due to the requirements of the grant, it cannot provide for the critical exhibits, outreach, and evaluation of DP. Private funding is needed to have a full, measurable impact on learning readiness.
The Campaign for Beloit’s Children will seek gifts and pledges with naming opportunities. Donors will have opportunities for input into the designs and specific branding. There will also be a community campaign so that people throughout Beloit — including families who will benefit from Discovery PLAYce — can participate. The public campaign will launch with 100 Extraordinary Women.
What Educators are saying about Discovery PLAYce
Dr. Willie E. Garrison II, Superintendent, School District of Beloit:
“We are looking forward to the focus on exposing students to variety of careers as their identities are already developing at an early age. The School District of Beloit values educating the whole child, and enrichment opportunities aimed at early childhood will play a key role in ensuring the success of our students’ future. Our students often learn best through hands on, experiential learning and Beloit Public Library’s Discovery PLAYce will become a widely utilized asset in our community.”
Dr. Dennis McCarthy, Superintendent, School District of Beloit Turner:
“Beloit Public Library has been a champion for families in our community by providing engaging activities, learning materials, and family programming. These early interactions plant the seeds for academic achievement down the road. The library’s work reminds us that education does not just begin at school, but rather at home and in the community. As a school district, we advocate for all efforts in our community that strive to prepare every child in Rock County to be school-ready. This demands community-wide collaboration, communication, and creativity as we seek the best ways to nurture our youth.”
Dr. Kristi Cole, Chief Education Officer, The Lincoln Academy:
“With the addition of the Discovery PLAYce, the library will give caregivers an opportunity to positively engage with children in a more immersed learning environment and, thereby, promote learning opportunities and social connection. The Discovery PLAYce will not only assist in providing a boost in preparing young children for their first school experience but also provide a place for school-age children to actively engage in learning outside of school.”