Children learn through play and develop key brain functions when that play is accompanied by an adult who engages in play with them. Discovery PLAYce will provide an opportunity to do just that. It will spark brain development, encourage learning readiness, and build habits for lifelong learning – helping Beloit’s children become more ready for learning and more successful in school and beyond.

Beloit Public Library was fortunate to receive a $3.89M Flexible Facilities Program Grant from the State of Wisconsin. These funds will transform more than 30% of our facility – including the last of the library’s unfinished second-floor spaces – to bolster services and address four key community needs: workforce development, access to healthcare, high-speed Internet access, and education. These renovations also make way for the library’s new Discovery PLAYce, which will be located in what currently is the children’s area. In short, it leaves us with a shell that we now need to fill. Funds raised in our capital campaign will allow us to purchase exhibits, pay for repairs, and ensure the success and sustainability of the learning center’s goal long-term, which ultimately is to prepare the area’s youth to read and be ready to learn once they enter local classrooms.

While Beloit is a thriving and caring community, many of its youngest residents are not entering school ready to learn. A staggering 88% of local children are below grade level in reading. Many children begin kindergarten without the basic skills they need to succeed. Discovery PLAYce directly addresses this challenge by equipping families with tools to support brain development and lifelong learning—starting at birth.

Discovery PLAYce was born from community collaboration. Beloit Public Library and the BPL Foundation led a local assessment with leaders from education, health care, and other community sectors. A Task Force then helped design the plan to ensure Discovery PLAYce responds directly to Beloit’s needs and opportunities. The Task Force Report is available upon request.

No. Discovery PLAYce will be completely free to use. There will be no admission fee and no registration required. As part of Beloit Public Library, Discovery PLAYce will be a public resource open to all families with children ages 0–6. The goal is to remove barriers and ensure every child in our community has access to high-quality early learning opportunities—regardless of income or background.

No. Discovery PLAYce is not a childcare center. It is a caregiver-child learning space designed to promote playful learning, brain development, and school readiness. Children must be accompanied by a parent or caregiver at all times. It is a place where families learn, explore, and grow together in a safe, literacy-rich environment.

No. Discovery PLAYce does not duplicate services. It fills a critical gap by combining fun, play-based learning with measurable educational outcomes and caregiver engagement—something no other space in Beloit currently offers. It does not duplicate nor compete; it complements and strengthens the work of other local organizations.

Currently in the design and capital campaign phase, Discovery PLAYce is slated to begin construction in Spring of 2026 open in the Summer of 2026.

Absolutely not! Discovery PLAYce is designed to welcome children and caregivers from Beloit, Rock County, or beyond, ensuring everyone has access to valuable early learning experiences and resources. This is a public learning resource, housed within Beloit Public Library and supported by public and private funding—with the goal of equitable access for all families.

No. Children must be supervised by a parent or caregiver at all times. Discovery PLAYce is designed for shared caregiver-child experiences that build early learning and brain development. It is not a drop-off space or childcare center. We encourage adults to actively engage in play alongside their children—reading, exploring, and learning together. That connection is key to helping children grow and succeed.

Discovery PLAYce will feature 5,364 square feet of immersive, play-based learning spaces designed to engage children and their caregivers. Highlights include:

• Themed learning play stations inspired by Beloit’s own community—such as health, food, culture, and careers
• Age-specific books and activities tailored to different developmental stages
• Evaluation tools to help track developmental milestones and support caregiver engagement

Discovery PLAYce is designed not just for children—but with families and caregivers at the heart of it. It supports them by:

• Providing tools and prompts to help caregivers connect play to brain development and early literacy;

• Providing opportunities for peer-to-peer caregiver support,

• Creating a safe, welcoming space where families can explore and learn together;
• Offering books and activities that model how to turn everyday moments into learning opportunities;
• Encouraging peer connection, where caregivers can meet and learn from one another;
• Sharing resources and referrals from trusted community partners; and
• Equipping caregivers with take-home ideas and activities to continue learning beyond the library.

Through these supports, Discovery PLAYce helps families become confident, informed, and empowered participants in their child’s learning journey.

Library staff and trained volunteers will support families and enhance their learning experiences, but they will not supervise children in place of a caregiver.

Staff roles include:

• Welcoming families and orienting them to the space;
• Maintaining and refreshing play stations to ensure safety, cleanliness, and engagement;
• Providing guidance on how caregivers can connect play to literacy and brain development;
• Offering programs and activities aligned with early learning goals; and
• Answering questions and sharing additional library and community resources.

Staff and volunteers are there to facilitate—not direct—learning, with the goal of empowering caregivers to be their child’s first and most important teacher.

Volunteers will be able to serve as docents to support staff in helping children and families engage with learning play stations. Volunteers will receive background checks for safety, as well as training to help them deliver meaningful experiences to those who visit.

Beloit Public Library has entered a five-year contract with Belmark Associates to establish, collect, and evaluate metrics that can be used to evaluate user experiences and advise any necessary adjustments to services, programs, staffing, or the like. Metrics will include:

• Tracking attendance and engagement;
• Collecting caregiver feedback;
• Monitoring children’s progress using simple milestone assessments; and
• Partnering with educators and caregivers to inform improvements.

Discovery PLAYce is made possible through both public and private funding. A $3.89 million State of Wisconsin Flexible Facilities Grant is supporting library infrastructure that will prepare the space to make Discovery PLAYce a reality. However, this grant does not cover the learning play stations, outreach, and programming needed for Discovery PLAYce. A capital campaign, The Campaign for Beloit’s Children, aims to raise $4.15 million in private funds to complete the project. $1 million already has been raised.

Local educators praise Discovery PLAYce as a powerful tool for school readiness and community enrichment:

• It supports early identity and career exploration.
• It extends learning beyond school and into the home.
• It fosters experiential, hands-on education at a critical stage in development.

Yes! As part of Phase I, Classroom 114 will be converted into a Sensory Room—a calming, supportive space designed for children to regulate emotions and behavior through sensory experiences. It will support programming for children with sensory sensitivities and provide a safe environment for relaxation and exploration.

Discovery PLAYce is being designed by Luci Creative, a nationally recognized design firm based in Chicago, in collaboration with Ravenswood Studio and Angus-Young Associates, the project architect. The design will reflect Beloit’s identity and include interactive learning stations based on real-world community themes.

Yes. Discovery PLAYce is part of a two-phase renovation project at Beloit Public Library.

• Phase I (July 2025–March 2026): General building renovations led by JP Cullen, funded by the State of Wisconsin’s Flexible Facilities Grant.
• Phase II (February–July 2026): The transformation of the former children’s area into Discovery PLAYce, funded through a private capital campaign.

The City of Beloit has awarded the Phase I construction contract to JP Cullen, a family-owned general contracting firm based in Janesville, Wisconsin. With more than five generations of experience, JP Cullen has completed major projects throughout Wisconsin, including schools, healthcare campuses, and libraries.

Phase I will update more than 30% of the library and focus on workforce development, access to healthcare, high-speed internet access, and education. Renovations will include:

• Building six new classrooms and a welcome area on the second floor;
• Converting a first-floor classroom into a Sensory Room for special programming;
• Relocating the computer lab and genealogy section to the south side of the first floor;
• Relocating study rooms, including one that will be a flexible space for virtual job interviews and doctor appointments, to the south side of the first floor; and
• Moving the children’s collection into the space where the computer lab, study rooms, and genealogy section were previously located on the north side of the first floor.

These renovations make space for Discovery PLAYce and will improve the library’s services post-COVID.

Phase II, which includes the creation of Discovery PLAYce, is scheduled to begin in Spring 2026 and be completed by Summer 2026.

The existing children’s area will be completely transformed into Discovery PLAYce. To make room, the children’s materials will move into the space formerly occupied by the computer lab, adult materials, and study rooms. Two child-friendly restrooms and a connecting hallway will link the new children’s area to Discovery PLAYce.

Some services may be temporarily relocated or limited during construction, including meeting rooms and public spaces. The library plans to remain open during renovations and communicate any major disruptions to services via the library’s website and social media.

• Phase I (Library Renovations) is funded through a $3.89 million Flexible Facilities Grant from the Wisconsin Department of Administration.
• Phase II (Discovery PLAYce) requires $4.15 million in private funding through a capital campaign.
• $1 million has already been raised through public and private sources.
• The remaining $3.15 million will be raised during The Campaign for Beloit’s Children.

The Campaign for Beloit’s Children is a community-driven fundraising effort to support the creation of Discovery PLAYce, a free early learning center at Beloit Public Library. The campaign is focused on helping children ages 0–6 develop essential early learning and literacy skills during the most critical years for brain development. It brings together public and private partners to ensure all Beloit children are prepared for school and lifelong success.

Yes! The campaign offers individual and corporate giving opportunities, including naming rights and design input for major donors. A public campaign will also launch, starting with 100 Extraordinary Women in Summer 2026, allowing community members at all levels to contribute. Stay tuned for details.

We have set a goal of finding 100 women who are willing to make a bold investment in Beloit’s future. When 100 women each give $1,000 ($200 per year or $18 per month for five years), they unlock $100,000 to bring Discovery PLAYce to life. Together, we can change the story for Beloit’s children—one playful moment at a time. Give in your own name or to honor or remember a special woman. All women’s names will be prominently listed in the Discovery PLAYce Baby Area. Join the 100 Extraordinary Women™ Campaign: Discovery PLAYce @ Beloit Public Library ⋆ 100 Extraordinary Women.

You bet! And that is a good thing, as we can tackle this critical gap in our community from multiple fronts, working together to make an impact on getting Beloit’s children ready to learn and read. In fact, Discovery PLAYce @ Beloit Public Library can benefit other organizations because of its ability to:

• Offer free access to early learning tools for families,
• Serve as a hub for community partners to share resources and programming, and
• Be a setting that is open and accessible to all.

Beloit Public Library, in collaboration with the City of Beloit, selected JP Cullen as the contractor through a competitive bidding process. Public bids are a standard procurement process used by government entities to ensure transparency, fairness, and responsible use of taxpayer dollars when selecting contractors for significant projects. A sealed-bid procurement was conducted, inviting bids from qualified contractors. JP Cullen, Gilbank Construction, Klobucar Construction, and Corporate Construction all submitted bids, which were opened in a public meeting. JP Cullen was chosen by winning the sealed bidding process with the lowest and most competitive bid.

First, the municipality outlines the scope of work (e.g., library renovations), timeline, technical specs, and budget estimates. Then a formal notice (Invitation to Bid) is issued—often in newspapers, websites, and public bulletin boards—inviting licensed contractors to submit sealed bids. Potential bidders may attend an informational session to clarify expectations, ask questions, and view the facility that, in this case, are to be renovated. Contractors submit sealed bids by a set deadline, including cost, timelines, and compliance documents. All bids are opened in a public forum to prevent favoritism or tampering. Bids are recorded for transparency. The contract is usually awarded to the lowest responsive and responsible bidder who meets all qualifications and can successfully perform the work. Once chosen, the governing body – in this case, the City Council – takes a formal vote to authorize the award and spending.