Families sometimes rely on scholarships to send their children to the Child Development Center at Kent State.

“One value of the child development center is to have student diversity,” said Natalie Pillsbury, a parent of a student in the toddler program at the center. “They want to ensure as many different students from the community as possible can have access to their education.”

The Child Development Center is hosting its annual Robin McManus scholarship fundraising event on Saturday, April 22 from 7 to 10 p.m. at the Child Development Center to help provide student scholarships to children who attend the center.

Robin McManus was a previous employee at the Center who had a big heart for young children and their families. After she passed away, her family created this scholarship in her honor.

Pillsbury, the head of the fundraiser committee, said the event, led by a committee of parent volunteers, is a great way to raise money to help offer scholarships to those who may not be able to afford the tuition, which provides supplies and pay for the teachers at the center.

One-third of the funds raised gets added to the Center’s $25,000 endowment. Once the goal is reached, the money can be given for scholarships to students, Pillsbury said. “The other two-thirds is used for the coming year as student scholarships for families that may need additional help.”

The event, hosted at the Child Development Center for the first time this year, is aimed to make it more mission-centered, allowing guests to tour the center and see the classrooms first hand, Pillsbury said.

“I would like to connect the center and the education that happens there with the mission and history of Kent,” Pillsbury said. “Kent started as a teacher training school and the center is a place where early childhood education students get first-hand experience to educate young minds.”

With a fundraising and event management background at WKSU, Pillsbury said she is happy to connect the center’s vision to the people of Kent.

“I’m happy I’ve been able to bring some of that experience to this event,” Pillsbury said. “I hope it will help them in the future to have a more developed template for how to do this event and get the most out of it.”

Hannah Wagner is the Education, Health and Human Services reporter, contact her at [email protected].