At a special dedication ceremony, Family Centers recognized the many contributions of longtime Board member Laurie Grauer and her husband, Peter, by renaming its Arch Street Preschool in their honor.
As of Friday, Sept. 16, the Arch Street Preschool will officially be known as The Grauer Preschool.
“Laurie and Peter are a community minded, dynamic and philanthropic duo who generously support human services and education from the preschool to the university level,” said Family Centers’ President & CEO Bob Arnold. “The leadership of Family Centers is delighted to pair in perpetuity our premier early learning center with the Grauer name. The Grauer Preschool is an absolute gem and will serve as a beacon for generation of children to come.”
Laurie Grauer has served on the Family Centers’ Board of Directors for 20 years, and has worked tirelessly to support the agency’s work to improve the lives of local families. She currently serves at the Board’s Vice Chairman, and has helped guide Family Centers’ service delivery expansion over that time. Grauer is also actively involved in the agency’s fundraising efforts, and has chaired several successful benefits.
The Grauer Preschool is one of Family Centers’ four preschool sites accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). The facility originally opened in 1907, and was Greenwich’s first preschool. Later, it became the first preschool in town to offer full-day services to accommodate working mothers in World War II. While it was affectionately known as the Arch Street Preschool for years, the school never had a formal name until now.
Family Centers is a private, nonprofit organization offering education and human and human services to children, adults and families in Fairfield County. More than 200 professionals and 3,000 trained volunteers work together to provide a wide range of responsive, innovative programs. A United Way, Community Fund of Darien and New Canaan Community Foundation partner agency, Family Centers is a member of the Connecticut Council of Family Service Agencies and is accredited by the Council on Accreditation (COA) and the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). The agency is licensed by the State of Connecticut Departments of Public Health and Children and Families. Visit www.familycenters.org for additional information.