Raze Early Learning & Development Center

Educate, Entertain & Get Stuff Done you have been so much more than just a curator of our Hall of Excellence you are a true community partner, encouraging through words of wisdom, inspiring to reach for more and showing up because you ‘heard there was a need’.

We thank you! We honor you! We are grateful for the diapers, wipes and formula tha has gone directly to community and supported the most vulnerable of us.

Thank you!

Shades of Motherhood Network, thank you for seeing the need and being apart of the solution. Thank you for always showing up! Always being willing to partner and coordinate to help and support our community. We are grateful or our partnership, grateful to be in community with you all and honored to be in this work together.

A heartfelt thank you to Waters Meet Foundation for their generous $5,000 emergency relief grant supporting families impacted by the Spokane Complex Fires.

Waters Meet Foundation understood that communities need flexible, unrestricted funding to respond quickly to real-time needs. Because of their trust and partnership, Raze has been able to provide immediate support including gas, food, hygiene supplies, air purifiers, and hotel stays for families affected by the fires.

Thank you for believing in community-led solutions and standing with Spokane families when it mattered most.

💙 Donation Drive – RAZE Early Learning and Development Center 💙

At RAZE Early Learning and Development Center, we are coming together to support the individuals and families affected by the Spokane area wildfires.

We know many families are facing incredibly difficult circumstances, and we want to help by collecting essential items to support them during this challenging time.

If you’d like to help, we invite you to donate or share this post with your friends, family, and coworkers. Every donation, no matter the size, can make a meaningful difference for families impacted by these fires.

If you know a family in need please text 509-294-9494 with your needs and location.

❤️ Thank you for helping us care for our community during this difficult time.

Donation drop-off

Dates: 8/3, 8/4
Times: 11:00a-5:00p
Location: 6519 N Lidgerwood

Yesterday, our community experienced an unimaginable tragedy.

Our hearts are with the families who have lost their homes, belongings and everyone who has been displaced or impacted by the wildfire. We are incredibly grateful for the courage and dedication of the firefighters, law enforcement officers, emergency responders, utility crews, and volunteers who continue to work around the clock to protect our community.

For those who have been evacuated or are in need of support, the Spokane Convention Center remains open as an evacuation and resource center, providing a safe place for individuals and families affected by the fire.

At Raze Development, we believe that communities are strongest when they care for one another. If you’re in a position to help, please consider checking in on a neighbor, supporting local relief efforts, or offering a helping hand to a family in need.

We are holding our entire Spokane community in our thoughts and stand alongside everyone affected as we face the days ahead—together.

The Raze the Roof team is officially in training! 🏐🔥

This weekend, we’ll be stepping onto the sand for Spokane’s Spike & Dig Tournament—and we’re not planning to make it easy on anybody. 😉

Our week of training is officially underway as we build chemistry, sharpen our skills, and learn how to play together as a team. Let’s just say… there’s been plenty of hustle, a few spectacular dives, and more than enough competitive spirit to go around.

One of the highlights from our first practice was looking over and seeing a couple of our Raze kiddos sitting courtside, taking it all in. They got to see their teachers outside the classroom—working together, cheering each other on, and having fun. We love that they get to experience that side of us, too.

We’re just getting started.

Stay tuned throughout the week as Raze the Roof continues training and gets ready to hit the sand this weekend. Tournament mode: ON. 💪🏾🏐

🎉 Join Us This Week! 🎉

We're excited to partner with Wellpoint for two incredible opportunities to connect, collaborate, and support families in our community.

💙 Tuesday, July 21 | 11:00 AM
📍 Akin – Spokane Valley
Community Listening Session
Your voice matters! Join local community partners as we discuss healthcare access, service gaps, the needs of Medicaid members and families, and ways we can build a healthier Spokane together.

👶 Wednesday, July 22 | 11:30 AM – 1:00 PM
📍 Diverse Roots Wellness District (Northtown Mall, across from Torrid)
Community Baby Shower
Expecting or growing your family? Come learn about: • Full-spectrum doula services
• Lactation support
• Childbirth education
• Family support resources

✨ Enjoy healthy snacks, prizes, and a raffle for a Pack-N-Play! Every attending mom will receive baby wipes and diapers while supplies last.

📧 To RSVP:
[email protected]
📞 509-405-1897 (for the Community Baby Shower)

We are grateful to partner with Wellpoint to ensure families have access to trusted, culturally responsive resources that support healthy pregnancies, healthy babies, and thriving communities.

We hope to see you there! 💜

🌱 Growing More Than a Garden—Growing Community 🌱

Today, we are proud to celebrate the launch of the Raze Community Garden—a space where children will learn, explore, nurture, and discover the beauty of growing something with their own hands.

This garden is especially meaningful because it began with our community. During our Community Exterior Work Group conversations, families, neighbors, and community leaders shared a vision for an outdoor learning space where children could connect with nature. We listened. Today, because of that shared vision, our children are the beneficiaries of your insight, advocacy, and engagement.

This project would not have been possible without the incredible partners who came alongside us:

UW Master Gardeners for providing gardening expertise, ongoing support, and curriculum that will transform this garden into a living classroom.

Baker Construction for generously sponsoring the garden beds, irrigation, construction materials, and labor to bring this vision to life.

Canopy Credit Union for sponsoring the seeds and nutrient-rich soil that will help our garden flourish for seasons to come.

The United States Air Force for sending volunteers who rolled up their sleeves and helped plant the very first seeds of what will become an incredible learning experience for our children.

We also want to extend our deepest gratitude to the members of our Community Exterior Work Group, whose voices helped shape this project from the very beginning:

💚 Shantell Jackson
💚 Jamie Stacey
💚 April Eberhardt
💚 Anna Franklin
💚 Lisa Gardner
💚 Shamerica Nakamura
💚 Stephanie Courtney

Your willingness to dream alongside us reminds us that the best ideas are cultivated together.

A very special thank you goes to our Pre-K, Preschool, and School Age teachers—Ms. Bianca, Ms. Sarah, and Ms. Eva. Thank you for your hard work, creativity, and unwavering commitment to bringing this vision to life. Your dedication didn’t stop once the garden was built—you are the ones who will continue nurturing it alongside our students, ensuring it remains a place where curiosity grows, confidence blossoms, and learning comes alive every single day.

At Raze, we believe children deserve learning environments that inspire curiosity, wellness, stewardship, and joy. This garden is more than a place to grow vegetables and flowers—it is where science comes alive, responsibility takes root, healthy habits are nurtured, and community blossoms.

Every seed planted is an investment in a child’s future. Thank you to everyone who helped make this vision a reality. Together, we’re not just growing a garden—we’re growing the next generation of leaders, caregivers, and changemakers. 🌱🖤

Quarterly Community Update

Spokane… look what we’re continuing to build together.

Over the last four months, our village has continued to grow in ways that remind us what is possible when a community chooses to invest in its children.

Today, Raze has reached over 80% of our daytime enrollment capacity, and we’re excited to share that our Evening Childcare Program is slated to open in the month of July.

This milestone represents more than enrollment.

It represents families believing in a model of early learning that centers belonging, cultural affirmation, mental wellness, and community.

But as always…

Raze has never been just about enrollment.

Investing in Children & Educators

This spring, we celebrated Easter with a community Eggtravaganza (egg hunt) in collaboration with the youth group of King’s Chapel, creating joyful memories for children and families throughout our community.

We expanded enrichment opportunities by launching music lessons for our school-age students through the generosity of community leader and civil engineer Benant Munagi, providing our children with new ways to discover their gifts and express their creativity.

During Black Maternal Health Week, we stood alongside Shades of Motherhood Network, recognizing that healthy communities begin by supporting mothers, caregivers, and families.

We also held our first Raze Professional Development Day, investing in our educators through training focused on child development, curriculum implementation, and strengthening family partnerships. Because when we invest in educators, children benefit.

Growing the Village

This season also marked the launch of the Raze Community Garden—a living classroom where children will learn responsibility, nutrition, environmental stewardship, and the joy that comes from growing something with their own hands.

Special thanks to Baker Construction, UC Construction, Canopy Credit Union, US Airforce and the WSU Master Gardeners for helping make this vision a reality. Stay tuned for more information to come about this!

Throughout May, we celebrated the incredible educators who make our mission possible during Teacher Appreciation Week, honored the mothers and caregivers in our community during Muffins with Mom, and joined community leaders at the Spokane Links White Rose Brunch in support of continued investment in our city.

June marked the exciting launch of our Summer School Age Program.

This summer, our students are taking learning beyond the classroom walls—traveling throughout Spokane, participating in community events, engaging in hands-on STEAM projects, exploring local parks and organizations, and discovering the people and places that make our city special.

We believe children don’t stop learning when school ends. They simply need new places to grow.

June also reminded us that celebration is an important part of building community.

We gathered with families for our Juneteenth Celebration, honoring freedom, culture, and resilience.

Our preschoolers walked the red carpet during our unforgettable fist annual Pre-K Prom, and we proudly celebrated our graduating Pre-K students as they prepared for kindergarten.

During Hoopfest, we were honored to sponsor youth participating in one of Spokane’s most beloved community traditions, cheering on our students both on and off the court.

Advocating Beyond Our Walls

Our commitment to children extends far beyond the classroom.

Our Executive Director served as a panelist for the KSPS Make Circle documentary, helping elevate conversations around childcare equity and the urgent need for continued investment and advocacy in early learning.

She also served as a panelist for the TakeAll Spokane Town Hall alongside members of the Washington State Black Legislative Caucus, advocating for greater representation of Black and Brown-owned small businesses and equitable funding practices that strengthen underserved communities.

Whether in classrooms, community conversations, or legislative spaces, Raze remains committed to ensuring children, families, educators, and providers have a voice where decisions are made.

The Work Continues

Every child who enrolls.

Every educator who pours into young lives.

Every family who trusts us.

Every community partner who says “yes.”

These moments represent something far greater than the growth of a childcare center.

Together, we are proving that dismantling the preschool-to-prison pipeline begins long before a child enters a courtroom. It begins in classrooms where children are loved, seen, challenged, celebrated, and surrounded by a community that believes in them.

To every family, educator, volunteer, donor, and partner who continues to build alongside us—

Thank you.

The village is growing.

And together, we’re building the future our children deserve.

❤️🖤💚