Bright Minds Academy

April 11, 2024

When the owners of Bright Minds Academy first decided to open a childcare center in Hays, KS, they had a long term vision of what Bright Minds would become. A school-aged program was always something they wanted to provide to the community to help fill gaps for families. Summer care, spring break, winter break, and inservice days can sometimes leave families at a loss of where to find care for their children.

After nearly five years of serving the community of Hays in the field of childcare, Bright Minds Academy will be adding a summer program for school-aged children in May of 2024. “It’s extremely exciting for Bright Minds Academy to reach this milestone,” said Andrea Felder, co-owner of Bright Minds Academy. “We’ve always known there was a need to add a summer program like this. Now that we have children of our own in school, we wish we would have tried to start it sooner for all the families that have had to patch together other solutions,” added Nick Felder, co-owner of Bright Minds Academy.

“Bright Minds Summertime” will accommodate up to 60 school-aged children ranging from 5 to 12 years of age. While the program will be experience focused, there will still be an educational aspect to it as well. “Our focus will be on ensuring that the kids have a blast in a safe, structured environment, while learning a few things along the way,” Andrea said of the new program. “Kids still need a break from school over the summer, but we’ll design our experiences around educational concepts like math, science, reading, and more,” Nick added.

The program will be designed for kids to stay engaged in education over the summer without making it feel like work to them. Trips to the Hays Aquatic Park, the Hays Public Library, Coldstone Creamery, Sternberg Museum, Precision Valley Golf, Arcade 11, Centennial Lanes, Rolling Hills Zoo, and much more will also be on tap for the new program, while engaging weekly themes, STEAM projects, and fun reading objectives will be a part of the structured days.

Bright Minds will operate their summer program from 7:30-5:30, Monday-Friday. Contingent on gaining KDHE licensed approval, the program will run from May 20 to August 16. Bright Minds Summertime will be held at Holy Family Elementary, whose leadership group graciously agreed to partner with Bright Minds. “We are excited to partner with Bright Minds Academy to provide a fun, safe space for the school-aged students this summer,” said Mandy Meagher, Holy Family Elementary Principle.

Leading the children through a summer of fun will be Program Director, Kayla North. Kayla has 12 years of previous teaching experience in grades K-6 and has been part of the Bright Minds Academy Preschool program for the past two years. “Kayla is a valued member of our team here at Bright Minds,” Nick said of the incoming director. “She understands our core values, and brings such relevant experience to what this new role will demand.”

“We have complete confidence in her ability to lead this program and ensure the kids have an amazing summer,” Andrea added. Kayla couldn’t hold back her excitement about the opportunity to mentor some of her previous students that have learned and grown significantly since the last time they were in her classroom.

“I can’t wait to see former students and other older kids of the community,” said Kayla. “It will be fun to re-engage with them and see how far they’ve come in the time I’ve been away from the elementary school ages. I’m so excited to help bring this option to the families of Hays!”