Dr. Kelly Lake brings more than 29 years of experience in education to her role as Director of the SRU/SGA Preschool & Childcare Center. Throughout her career, she has served as a Teacher, Literacy Specialist, Education Coach, Education Supervisor, and School Leader, with expertise in Early Childhood Education, Family Engagement, and Program Leadership.

A proud graduate of Slippery Rock University, Dr. Lake has a lifelong connection to the Center and the SRU community. As a child, she attended the Preschool & Childcare Center, later volunteered there as a high school student, and worked there as both an undergraduate and graduate student. Her son, Nico, also attended the Center, making her return as Director a full-circle experience. 

Dr. Lake is passionate about creating high-quality learning experiences for children, fostering strong partnerships with families and the community, and supporting educators in their professional growth. She is honored to serve the children, families, and staff at the Center while giving back to the community that helped shape her educational journey.

We are thrilled to share that the SRU/SGA Preschool and Child Care Center has achieved Accreditation+, the highest level of recognition available through the NAEYC Early Learning Program Quality Assessment and Accreditation system!  NAEYC is the National Association For The Education Of Young Children. 

NAEYC Accreditation is a nationally and internationally recognized honor.  We are currently one of only seven programs in Butler County with this distinction.  The others are near the Cranberry Township Area.  There is one program in Mercer County and one in Lawrence County. 

This distinction means that we’ve gone beyond the foundational quality expectations; we’ve shown, through both documented evidence and a required on-site visit, that we’re putting high-quality early learning practices into action every single day. 

Achieving Accreditation+ means more than meeting the mark once; it means we are committed to sustaining quality over time. Our program will continue to participate in ongoing quality improvement initiatives, including random site visits and additional accountability measures to ensure we uphold the high standards you and your children deserve. 

We are proud of the hard work our educators and staff have put in to reach this milestone, and we are even more proud to be your trusted partner in your child’s early learning journey. This achievement belongs to our entire community, and that includes you. 

Thank you for your continued support and for being part of our program.